Law Enforcement Needs an Asset Management Solution

Law enforcement officers depend on information technology (IT) fixed assets to do their jobs – from radios, tablets, and laptop computers to smartphones, cameras, and more. An asset management solution for police allows police departments to track, monitor, and maintain the IT assets on which their employees depend, get more mileage out of these items, and keep officers safe.

In April, the Brookings Institute released a report entitled “How COVID-19 is changing law enforcement practices by police and by criminal groups.” Author Vanda Felbab-Brown explains how global pandemic-related lockdowns have led to the disbursement of police officers and other law enforcement officers from rural areas into cities. The reason for this shift, she said, is that larger, more densely populated areas need additional coverage to ensure that residents comply with stay-at-home directives. Rural areas may be more vulnerable to crime, especially when so many areas of the world are under economic strain. To be sure, this is a dismal outlook, and there’s an additional underlying issue here that Felbab-Brown doesn’t address.

Whether law enforcement officers are in urban areas, rural areas, or somewhere in between, many are stretched thin now for various reasons – fewer officers on hand, higher crime rates, reduced budgets, or some other factor. At the very least, officers should be able to trust that the law enforcement IT assets on which they depend to serve their communities are functional and properly maintained. A police officer who encounters a potentially dangerous situation and needs to call for backup shouldn’t have to discover at that inopportune moment that their radio isn’t working.

The Benefits of Using Police Asset Management Software

An asset management solution gives them that assurance along with a host of benefits that enable police departments to operate efficiently, curb waste and loss and protect the investment they’ve made in their technology. Attaching a unique barcode to each IT fixed asset allows busy departments to track the movement of each of these items and gives staff access to such pertinent details as an item’s:

• Check-in/check-out status
• Warranty
• Insurance policy
• Maintenance schedule
• Comprehensive maintenance history

In the rush that so often accompanies the job, it’s easy for IT assets to be misplaced and for staff to forget where they left them. An asset management solution eliminates the frustrating practices of retracing one’s steps and making phone calls to find lost items. Using a mobile app downloaded to their smartphones – or via a web app from the office – staff can pinpoint the exact location of any item and minimize disruption to their shift productivity. Departments may also use an asset management system to require officers that end their respective shifts by accounting for all IT assets and adding their electronic signatures for validation.

Keeping up with the maintenance of their IT assets can be challenging when police departments deal with many issues that require immediate attention. An asset management solution keeps maintenance schedules in mind by allowing users to set up custom reminders. They can also create work orders for any IT asset straight from the app on their smartphones if they wish. By storing comprehensive IT asset information in a single location, an asset management solution allows users to examine an asset’s maintenance history, determine if any issue has been reoccurring, and decide whether to replace the item.

At any given time, departments may audit their IT assets to ensure that all items are accounted for. Using an asset management solution, they may also calculate the depreciation of those assets, monitor their usage histories, and generate equipment refresh schedules based on accurate, real-time information.

Asset Panda's Law Enforcement Asset Management Software

Asset Panda’s mobile asset management solution has helped police departments track their IT investments any way they want through a completely customizable and intuitive system. To learn more, give Asset Panda's police asset management software a try with a free 14-day trial (no credit card required)! 

You’ll receive full access to user guides, video tutorials, free mobile apps, and call-in and live chat support from our fantastic Asset Panda support team.