Newswise — The University of Alabama's CARE Research & Development Laboratory is expanding its electronic ticketing system, known as e-Citation. This latest expansion includes deployment to all Alabama's state troopers.
Developed by UA's CARE Research & Development Laboratory in 2003, e-Citation operates on laptops in the patrol cars. The tickets are transmitted electronically directly to the Administrative Office of Courts in Montgomery, eliminating data entry of the tickets by the court clerks. This allows court clerks access to those tickets without having to input information.
"With the overwhelming success of the pilot programs, we're excited to expand the e-Citation technology to all state troopers in Alabama," said Dr. Allen Parrish, professor of computer science and director of UA's CARE Research & Development Laboratory.
Parrish said there are several advantages to using the e-Citation software, including:
· Faster ticket issuance keeps officers safer by spending less time on the side of busy highways · Eliminating illegible data · Minimizing entry errors · Eliminating multi-ticket copying errors· Preventing incomplete tickets from being issued · Eliminating redundant data entry by multiple agencies · Producing statistical summaries
Col. J. Christopher Murphy, director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, also is supportive of the expansion.
"I'm all for innovative technologies, such as e-Citation," said Murphy. "I am impressed with this system, and we intend to continue deployment of e-Citation until all of our troopers are using the program."
During the summer of 2006, the state of Alabama conducted a traffic records assessment, which included an independent committee of experts from differing states assessing all areas of Alabama's traffic records systems. The committee was extremely complimentary of the integrated e-Citation system and had no recommendations for improving it. They said it was one of the best they have seen in the nation.
In addition to expansion among state troopers, e-Citation is being expanded into municipalities throughout Alabama. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is partially sponsoring the municipal rollout. Also, e-Citation is sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Partners in the program include the Alabama Department of Public Safety and the Administrative Office of Courts.
History of e-CitationPhase one of the e-Citation program took place at the Alabama Department of Transportation trucking weigh station in Heflin. Phase two expanded the project to four Alabama counties, including Baldwin, Cleburne, Madison and Mobile. Motor Carrier Safety Unit troopers in those counties worked with laptops and driver's license scanners in their cars. Phase three piloted the program with Tuscaloosa and University of Alabama police departments.
UA's CARE Research & Development Laboratory, part of the computer science department, uses leading edge technologies to offer products and specialized software development services in a variety of areas, particularly traffic safety and law enforcement. For more information, visit http://care.cs.ua.edu/.
In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA's fully accredited College of Engineering has about 1,900 students and nearly 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.
The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.
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