In the not-so distant past, warrants were handled on paper, requiring law enforcement officers to sift through paperwork or travel to courts and judges’ residences after hours. The digital transition to Ewarrants and ecourt services boosts efficiency and accountability.
WCNC Charlotte has learned that the process isn’t always smooth. Continued issues are slowing down police.
Streamlined Process
Streamlined workflows make the entire warrant process more efficient and accurate. Designed to eliminate errors and improve data entry, Ohio’s uniform, statewide Ewarrant system enhances law enforcement situational awareness.
Judges can review eWarrant applications and probable cause declarations remotely from any internet connected device. This allows officers to obtain warrants during non-court hours and helps reduce the amount of time devoted to the application and approval process. The judicial process is fully audited and records the application, processing, and a full history of all applications, warrants and probable cause declarations.
Traditional warrant processes are cost intensive for police departments, the courts and jurisdictions. Hundreds of personnel hours are spent every year on this type of paperwork, but with an ewarrants solution those hours can be better used on apprehension and other priorities. An ewarrants solution will quickly save departments money by eliminating unplanned overtime costs spent processing paperwork. The ewarrants system also reduces the amount of time needed to get information from judges to officers, prosecutors and clerks.
Security
eWarrants uses the latest secure and reliable cloud technology for storage of warrant data. This allows authorized users to access the data from their own pre-certified and registered hardware devices. The system also features an advanced tracking module to follow the different stages of the judicial review process. The anywhereWARRANT feature allows law enforcement officers to contact the judiciary for any type of judicial review from any internet connected device, including smartphones. Recorded “FaceTime-like” video chats are used for oaths and questions, ensuring all parties have the best possible understanding of what is being requested.
eWarrants will improve the thoroughness, accuracy and timeliness of warrant and protection order uploads to LEADS for officer safety, public safety and firearm transfer decisions. It will also comply with state and federal security policy standards and operational requirements. The eWarrants system is managed by FusionStak, led by a dynamic team with deep roots in the field of public safety and leading edge software development.
Flexibility
Using the Tyler cloud-native eWarrants application, judicial officials can process warrant requests 24/7. This system improves the thoroughness, accuracy and timeliness of warrant and protection order submissions to LEADS for officer safety, public safety and firearm transfer decisions while meeting state and federal security policy standards and operational requirements.
The eWarrants application also provides a seamless integration with CMS and RMS systems, making it easy for law enforcement to communicate with courts electronically in real time. This eliminates manual hand-offs that can be prone to error and delays and increases efficiency.
The eWarrants interface is free to use and can be integrated into most existing case management systems. Ohio courts and law enforcement agencies have already started to implement this technology. For example, Meigs County Common Pleas Court cut their bench warrant entry time to NCIC from days to just minutes using eWarrants! This is a huge improvement to officer safety and situational awareness. It also helps preserve evidence by reducing or eliminating the need for officers to travel from their stations to the courthouse to request and receive warrants.
Efficiency
Using Tyler’s eWarrants solution, law enforcement officers can request warrants from any device with internet access. Once a warrant is requested, the judicial official is immediately notified and can process the warrant within minutes. This allows officers to respond to incidents as they unfold.
eWarrants also reduces the time from court-issued warrant to entry into state and national databases, cutting days of delay down to minutes. This increases officer safety and situational awareness, especially when approaching suspects or vehicles with outstanding warrants.
In addition, eWarrants saves law enforcement agencies significant amounts of money by eliminating unnecessary overtime. The cost of the cloud-based system can be quickly recouped by allowing officers to spend more time pursuing criminals instead of processing paperwork. This ensures that taxpayer dollars are well-spent on enhancing public safety. The eWarrants software is currently used by Meigs County Common Pleas court, and will soon be available to all 88 counties.