Mobile Device Optimized for Police Missions

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Smartphones offer much potential in public safety missions. The Chicago Police Department is piloting Samsung DeX In-Vehicle Solution designed to give officers more tools at their fingertips, including completing reports and connecting to servers while in the field. The idea is to give officers everything they need to process a scene or respond to an incident in the palm of their hand.

DeX technology works with an officer’s Samsung Galaxy smartphone, allowing it to function as a computer when connected to a tablet and keyboard mounted in a police vehicle.

The solution provides officers the ability to dock their smartphones and access policing applications on a dash-mounted display and keyboard.

The mobile-first initiative aims to leverage the power of officer smartphones to streamline in-vehicle computing access. Officers participating in the pilot will be able to access computer-aided dispatch and other Chicago Police Department systems to conduct background checks and complete reports. 

Photo and video evidence captured on the smartphone will also be immediately accessible to attach to reports. 

Samsung DeX enables users to connect their smartphone to a display via an HDMI cable and access a PC-like experience, complete with paired monitor and mouse. Users can multitask by accessing multiple apps with resizable windows and typical desktop features like drag-and-drop and keyboard shortcuts.

To optimize the solution for public safety use, Samsung has partnered with leading outfitters and software providers to create an ergonomic, streamlined in-vehicle set up and ensure full compatibility with key applications.

Beyond the vehicle, DeX can also be leveraged to replace computing terminals in the police station. Returning to the report center, officers can connect their smartphone to a monitor, keyboard and mouse to complete paperwork. This further consolidates endpoint management, while providing a seamless digital transition for personnel from the street, to the vehicle and the station, according to the company’s website.

“With this solution, it really creates an ecosystem that takes all the technology and makes it available to officers on the street in real-time and at significantly less cost.” -CPD Chief Jonathan Lewin

In a case study commissioned by Samsung, the US Public Safety Network estimated transitioning from rugged in-vehicle laptops to a full one-to-one deployment of Galaxy smartphones and DeX in Vehicle devices could save agencies more than 15 percent in year one savings and more than 32 percent in annual savings thereafter.