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While most everyone understands the need for traffic safety rules, they probably don't know traffic citations can be as big a headache for police officers as they are for motorists.

Police officials in Santa Ana, Calif. -- one of the state's 10 largest cities -- say handwritten citations from routine traffic stops can trigger paperwork chain reactions that gridlock even the most efficient police departments.

"All of our citations used to be handwritten," explained Lt. Tony Levatino of the Santa Ana Police Department. "If I made my fours and they look like nines, well we had a problem." Indeed it's a huge -- and costly -- issue for the busy department.

No More Paper Chase
Santa Ana's citation paperwork is becoming a thing of the past thanks to Levatino's determination and HP iPAQs.

With the help of Crossroads Software, based in Brea, Calif., the Santa Ana Police Department created an electronic version of its old, in-triplicate, paper citation booklet.

Now, instead of drawing a thick and worn paper citation book from their pockets, officers issue violation notices via sleek, bright-screened HP iPAQs.

By simply swiping the violator's driver's license through a card reader attached to the iPAQ, the first portion of the citation is automatically filled with pertinent -- and accurate -- personal information. Officers complete the remainder of the citation using a series of drop-down menus. A driver's copy of the ticket is printed on a portable thermal printer.

All citation information is written to a Secure Digital flash memory card (SD card). Back at the station, officers log into their system and download the citations to the department's database. The all-digital ticketing system, has reduced a nearly 50 percent error rate to less than 1 percent. Besides eliminating errors, iPAQs help Santa Ana traffic officers collect better evidence.

A "tape recorder" feature on the handheld device permits officers to keep audio records of traffic stops, and a camera accessory allows officers to gather images. An attached reader also captures 500 dpi bitmap images of violators' thumbprints. Currently 25 Santa Ana motorcycle officers and 15 patrol officers carry iPAQs. Eventually Levatino expects to equip all of the department's 400 officers with the devices, and given their current success, Levatino expects to quickly add other new technologies. Levatino said thus far, the savings in cost and staff time -- measured in hundreds of man-hours -- is "just phenomenal."