Police start using electronic tickets

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austin police officers are starting to use electronic citation writing machines during traffic stops, which they believe will be safer, faster and more efficient.  80 of the new machines will be on the streets by the end of the week.

"This is going to help make our job a little bit easier- get us off the road quicker- get the roadway cleared up a lot faster than we normally would," said Officer Michael Monroe, who has been part of a test group of 20 officers using the machines since mid-October.

So far, he says drivers have been receptive to the new technology, which could cut  the length of the traffic stop from six to 10 minutes, down to less than one minute.

"When I hand it to them they go , 'oh wow'," Monroe said of drivers. "They're not even mad about the ticket anymore, so it's been great."

APD estimates the electronic citation writers will cut traffic stop times from six to 10 minutes to less than one minute. The officer scans the driver's license and registration sticker and the information is automatically entered in to the machine and the citation printed on a portable printer. The the information is uploaded to the Municipal Court.

"These things they do eliminate human error," said Monroe. "You're going to start seeing a lot more of them."

APD hopes to have 200 of these machines on the street by the end of the year and ultimately, 700 of them total, which would allow one for every patrol officer.

Officers can also use the electronic writers to enter accident reports and clear vehicles from the roads more quickly.