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KHP to begin using e-citations
Published 10/13/2012 in Local News : Police
By The Telegram
The Kansas Highway Patrol will begin issuing citations in a different form next week in part of the state.
All officers who are part of the Kansas Highway Patrol, including state troopers, motor carrier inspectors and Capitol Police officers, eventually will be using an electronic form of citation, rather than the typical hand-written copies that people may be familiar with.
With support from the district courts throughout Kansas, the patrol will make the switch to electronic citations in the northwest region next week, and will switch the other six regions of the state over in the next few months.
"The e-citation system is an extremely efficient platform that will further our goal to provide professional, quality service to the motoring public, as well as to the courts throughout Kansas. This endeavor is another positive step in the right direction. We are pleased to be able to further enhance our partnership with the Kansas judicial system," Captain Scott Harrington, commander of the patrol's Public and Governmental Affairs section, said.
For the new electronic citations, no signature is required. Motorists should not notice much of a delay if they are being issued a citation, and the new electronic citations will not change the fine amounts for violations, according to a release from KHP.
Court officials praised the e-citations system.
"From the court system's perspective, the e-citation program could result in added efficiency and accuracy in processing these kinds of cases," a court spokesman said.
Switching to electronic citations will allow for better efficiencies in the patrol's way of doing business. Some benefits include:
* Grant tracking for particular initiatives — seat belt enforcement, construction zone, saturation patrols, etc.
* Improved internal stats to provide more consistency in training and oversight.
* Citations will be easier to read, resulting in more accurate entry of information over handwritten copies.
* The citations will be integrated with the Kansas Law Enforcement Reporting system, which the patrol utilizes for accident and arrest reports.
* No new hardware was required to implement the system in patrol vehicles. The patrol leveraged existing equipment, which already was in place in patrol vehicles. Courts have the option to purchase an additional interface for electronic file transfer, or can continue to manage information through manual data entry.
* Reduced lag between the time the ticket is issued and the time the information is available to the courts, improving customer service to the public.
* Reduced time to process tickets for the 35-plus courts moving to electronic file transfer.
* Tickets will now include Citepay information so those who were cited can pay online. The citations also include court contact information.
* The ability for courts to manage court dates electronically, allowing better management of traffic court dockets.
* Ability to report on traffic citations/warnings issued in a given county.
* Green initiatives-reduced number of duplicate copies will be required. Violations and warnings can be printed on a single page.
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