After Colorado deputies, Chicago police are employing Samsung’s technologies to give officers on patrol better resources. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is rolling out a pilot program for Samsung’s DeX in-vehicle solution. The in-vehicle version of Samsung’s DeX platform will replace the computers in cop cars. The initial pilot will launch in CPD’s 11th district later this year.

Greater capabilities, reduced cost

The CPD is taking Samsung’s DeX in-vehicle solution for a spin to see if it’s effective enough to replace the computers cops and first responders have to carry around. Under the program, participating officers will be able to access police apps on their vehicle’s dash-mounted display simply by docking their Samsung Galaxy smartphones. CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson said nearly half of the officers already have a department-issued Samsung smartphone. “The idea is to give officers everything they need to process a scene or respond to an incident in the palm of their hand,” Eddie added.

The DeX platform will also allow officers to accomplish tasks like accessing computer-aided dispatch and other CPD systems to conduct background checks and complete reports. They can also immediately attach any photo or video evidence they take with their phones.

As CPD Bureau of Technical Services chief Jonathan Lewin points out, Samsung DeX saves both time and money. “The old computers had to stay in the cars,” he explained. “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 than we are paying now”. According to Samsung, the DeX in-vehicle solution could save agencies more than 32% in operational costs yearly.

Samsung says the DeX platform can also replace the computing terminals in police stations. Officers can pick up from where they left off in their cars once they get back to the office. It’s not clear whether CPD would be using DeX in their offices, though.