Officers and their suspects can now sit in front of a television screen and talk to the magistrate while seeing him on the screen. The system will save thousands of miles of driving hundreds of personnel hours, police officials say. Previously, officers had to make the 16-mile drive, then, if the magistrate decided not to lock up the suspect, the officer had to drive the suspect back.
Since the system went into effect about a month ago, it's been used two or three times a day, officials say. Both officers and the magistrates were a little apprehensive of the new technology at first, however.