Problem:

Officers on patrol in county police cars were using 8.5-inch thermal printers for issuing e-tickets — or writing them by hand. The printers were mounted at lap level between driver and passenger seats, in place of the arm rest. The location made the printer awkward to access, and vulnerable to damage by duffel bags tossed into the vehicle and rainwater splashing off the officers’ gear.

To further complicate matters, the 8.5-inch roll media used by the printer was mounted separately and had to be re-loaded with each ticket — requiring the officer to take his or her eyes off the computer and the perp when loading, printing and tearing off the form.

Solution:

The OKI Specialty Products team — along with the local Authorized OKI Dealer — developed a system based on a 6.7-inch portable thermal printer that is light enough to be mounted on a swing bracket behind the passenger headrest. (Bracket-and-printer can actually be mounted anywhere in the vehicle.)

The rugged OKI® LP480 printer takes a 4-inch wide roll of pre-printed, double-sided tickets. Its tear bar enables individual tickets to separate cleanly at 11 inches. Drop-in loading is quick and easy for the officer; the narrow format saves paper; and, most advantageous of all, the solution allows the officer to remain eyes-on with the ticket’s recipient.

Results:

Officials of the police department were so impressed with the OKI team’s solution that they released a bid for 120 units. The Authorized OKI Dealer is working directly with the county’s IT personnel to migrate from the old system to the new.

Click here to download the full OKI case study