ELSAG's Tactical Operation Center (TOC) was introduced at the International Association of Chiefs of Police show in Orlando in October 2010. This software is used in conjunction with the ALPR system by alerting dispatchers and additional patrol units immediately when an MPH-900T-patrolling police car alarm occurs, instantly allowing them to see what caused the alarm and see the location of the lead patrol car on a local area map. This improves officer safety as it helps provide timely back-up and allows dispatchers to send additional units as needed. The TOC is comprised of one or more TOC sources: patrol cars outfitted with ALPR cameras and a TOC server, which forwards information to additional patrol vehicles and the dispatcher.
"Situational awareness, communications, command and control are at the very heart of every successful law enforcement operation," says Sheriff Donald B. Smith of Putnam County, N.Y., one of the first jurisdictions to begin using the TOC Plus. "It is absolutely essential that every deputy and investigator have the best technical equipment advantage at their disposal for every operation."
TOC Plus now includes the ability to filter various alarms based on the mission and needs of an officer. "Not every officer needs to receive every alarm," says Mark Windover, CEO of ELSAG. "Investigators often only want to see one particular type of alarm or an alarm from a specific vehicle. This new filtering feature will allow them to receive only the alarms they want and allow dispatch to coordinate resources more efficiently and effectively to ensure officer safety and improve response times."
According to Sheriff Smith, "The Tactical Operation Center is the new front line in Officer Safety. The dispatch center at the Sheriff's Office and every patrol car in our fleet now have the capability of knowing instantly when a hit occurs on one of our license plate readers, whether the hit be for a suspended license, registration, or for a stolen vehicle. All of our members now know the exact location, plate number, make and model of the suspect vehicle."
The Putnam County Sheriff's Department has utilized the license plate reader and the Tactical Operation Center to aide in officer safety by programming in the license plate numbers of armed individuals who left their homes in a rage after violent domestic disputes. Furthermore, TOC Plus has been utilized in assisting patrols trying to locate missing or endangered people by programming in their license plate numbers.
