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St. Louis County Police Department

  • Case Studies

Three years ago, Sergeant Wilson took over managing the IT department for the St. Louis County Police department. In this role, his team was responsible for arming the police force with the best available technology solutions and providing ongoing technical support. The officers he outfits, who spend their days in and out of vehicles as they serve the citizens of St. Louis County, needed a new laptop solution that could quickly and easily be removed from the squad car.

After contacting other users and conducting his own careful comparison research, Sergeant Wilson concluded that Panasonic’s rugged mobile solutions outclassed the other options available on the market. Specifically, he believed that the TOUGHBOOK 54 – the world’s lightest and thinnest semi-rugged laptop, powered by Windows 10 Pro and the latest Intel® 6th gen i5 processor – would be the best tool to help his officers do their jobs safely and effectively.

Section Title

  • Challenges

    The St. Louis County Police Department needed a technology partner with a deep understanding of the needs of law enforcement officers, the challenges they face and the tools required to protect and serve county residents.

  • Solutions

    After carefully comparing a number of vendors, Sergeant Mike Wilson, who oversees the Bureau of Computer Services at the St. Louis County Police Department, decided to equip his officers with the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 54 because of its ability to withstand their difficult working environments and how smoothly it transitioned into and out of their squad cars. 

  • Results

    St. Louis County Police officers using the TOUGHBOOK 54 can now easily remove the lighter laptop from their vehicle in the field, enabling them to tackle investigations more effectively, enter reports more efficiently, all while safely navigating their jurisdiction.

The first 200 officers to receive the new laptops were initially hesitant. Would this be another piece of equipment they’d have to maintain?

“Once our officers began using the TOUGHBOOK 54 during their day-to-day operations, they quickly realized the laptops’ power, convenience and reliability“, said Sergeant Wilson.

Before the TOUGHBOOK 54, officers had to call in reports to the station – a time-consuming process – or enter the information themselves while sitting in the car, which was cumbersome. Thanks to the TOUGHBOOK 54’s collapsible pins, simple dock connection and light weight, officers can easily remove the computer from the car and enter reports somewhere safe and comfortable – including their own homes.
When on patrol in a squad car, the TOUGHBOOK shows an officer’s heads up display, or HUD, with a situational awareness map that shows all offenders or recent crime in the area. The computer also helps officers navigate and communicate with other responding units. During investigations, officers can remove the TOUGHBOOK from its dock to conduct suspect lineups without having to travel back and forth to the station. And as more officers begin to wear body cameras, the powerful mobile laptops are becoming critical for managing and analyzing video content.

Of course, the TOUGHBOOK 54 is rugged enough to withstand the daily difficulties that come with police work. With a spill-resistant, full magnesium alloy chassis, the TOUGHBOOK can survive drops from squad cars, rain during an investigation, and the incredible temperature fluctuations that the St. Louis County area is known for.

“My whole force – from patrol officers to drug unit sergeants to homicide detectives – is begging me for these TOUGHBOOK laptops,” says Sergeant Wilson. “We’re excited to continue working with Panasonic as we equip our teams with the rugged mobile solutions they need to get their jobs done.”
Overall, the STAR Ambulance team has seen the TOUGHBOOK G2 positively impact the speed, productivity, and efficiency of individuals, teams, and services. Peck says this is “so important in this business, as there is never a shortage of customers.” So far, there have been fewer IT service calls thanks to the durability and reliability of the devices. This minimizes delays within the workday and improves the worker experience. STAR’s business operations benefit from more consistent charting processes and record management.

Despite the initial upfront cost of replacing consumer-grade devices, the TOUGHBOOK G2 is already on pace to pay for itself, with fewer repairs, replacements, and accessory requirements. “Even though the TOUGHBOOK G2 was more expensive than our consumer-grade models, the costs came pretty close when factoring in the device replacements and extra accessories we often had to purchase to make our previous devices suitable for EMS workflows,” says Peck.