Does the use of Mobile Data Terminals (MDTs) in patrol cars result in an increase in

productivity for police officers?

by

Travis J. Youngblood

April 28, 2019

EDIT 677 – Assessment Tech & Learn
Introduction

The vast majority of police departments in the United States utilize Mobile Data

Terminals in their patrol vehicles.  Simply put, these are laptops that are placed in each vehicle. 

Through the use of these computers, officers are able to perform a variety of tasks from running

driving records and criminal histories to completing vehicle accident reports and issuing

electronic citations.  For departments who do not utilize MDTs, officers have to complete more

paperwork by hand. They also have to rely on dispatch to provide them with information that

they would otherwise be able to look up on their own if they had an MDT in their vehicle.  

As a law enforcement officer, I was curious to see the effect that an MDT has on a police

officer’s productivity. This led me to create a study that will answer my question. In this study,

I will utilize two groups of police officers.  One group will have MDTs in their vehicles.  The

second group will not.  I will compare statistics of the two groups (i.e., number of reports taken,

number of citations issued, etc.).  I will obtain qualitative data by interviewing the officers as

well as the dispatchers.  I will then be able to determine whether or not the use of MDTs leads to

increased productivity.  

Review of Literature

Before diving into my research, I had a narrow scope of the effect that mobile data

terminals has on law enforcement officers on a daily basis. I did not believe that a great deal of

research had been done on the subject; however, I was incorrect. I was able to find a multitude

of studies and articles on the subject. After reviewing the literature, the scope of my focus
changed drastically. Initially I was solely focused on productivity, but, I later realized that I

needed to look at other aspects, such as officer safety, as well.

The first article that I reviewed was a study conducted in 2013 within the Atlanta,

Georgia Metropolitan Area Police Department. This study was geared towards looking at the

effect that mobile data terminals had on the productivity of their patrol officers. The

study concluded that the majority of officers gave positive feedback and believed that MDTs

were a beneficial tool to have. Age of the officers was a major factor in how useful the

individual officer perceived the MDT to be. 50% of officers age 40-50 perceived MDTs as

useful, while only 25% of those age 21-40 found them to be useful (Fisher, 2013). This study

found that network issues were the biggest drawback to having MDTs. If a department wishes to

have MDTs, the study says, they need to make sure that each unit can receive a strong signal

throughout the entire patrol area.

In 1998, Albert J. Meehan studied the impact of mobile data terminals information

technology on communication and recordkeeping in police patrol work. Newer officers rely too

heavily on the MDT rather than getting out of their vehicles and doing the investigative work

themselves (Meehan, 1998). It is also noted that supervisors have access to information about

their patrol officers on their MDTs, which can threaten the solidarity among the shift. Overall,

this study found that officers who have MDTs in their vehicles are generally more proactive in

their patrol work.

Mobile data terminals are a useful tool; however, they also have potential setbacks.

Having a computer in a vehicle can be a distraction to the officer both when he is driving and

when he is stationary. Distraction is a major officer safety issue. Many officers have reported

anxiety of being walked up on by an individual while they were working on their MDT (Dasher,
2016). Negative driving consequences were also commonly experienced by officers as a result

of “tunnel vision” on technology devices.

Mobile data terminals can have an effect on the comfort of police officers. A study was

completed in 2013 that takes a look at the impact that MDT use has on posture and low-back

discomfort with simulated prolonged driving in police cruisers. The use of MDTs in conjunction

with driving further increases the level of discomfort experienced by the patrol officer (Gruevski

2013). The design of vehicles and location of the MDT itself needs to be further investigated to

prevent future discomfort and medical issues among officers.

The final piece of literature I reviewed was a study which looked at the effect that mobile

data terminals had on the Virginia Beach Police Department and the impact of technology on the

history of law enforcement. The Virginia Beach Police Department faced many problems when

they first implemented mobile data terminals in 1979; however, they quickly became the model

for other departments around the country to follow. This study found that mobile data terminals

assist the department with efficiently deploying and managing resources in addition to

responding to calls (Corillo, 2003). In fact, this study was so successful that the Chief is quoted

saying that the department would not be able to operate without computers in their vehicles.

Methodology

After reviewing literature on the effect of mobile data terminals on law enforcement

officers, I began to design a study of my own. As a law enforcement officer, I knew I had easy

access to equipment and participants. For my research, I used a group of ten law enforcement

officers. Five of these officers were placed in patrol vehicles which had a mobile data terminal
inside of the vehicle. Five of the officers, who were the control group, were placed in vehicles

that did not have a mobile data terminal.

To obtain quantitative data, I analyzed statistics in the LawTrack report system. I was

able to see the number of reports, warning tickets, and citations issued by each officer. This was

a great way for me to track the productivity of each officer using quantitative data. I made sure

to only analyze officers who were working day shift (0600-1800 hours). This way the results

would be more consistent than if I were to have a mix of officers on both the day and night

shifts, as call volumes vary greatly.

To obtain qualitative data, I conducted interviews of the patrol officers, their supervisors,

and the dispatchers. I had each officer provide a written statement at the conclusion of each shift

explaining their experience with the mobile data terminal on that given day. For those officers

who were in the control group, I had them provide a statement saying how their shift could have

gone differently if they had access to a mobile data terminal in their vehicle. At the conclusion

of the study, I made contact with the supervisors and dispatchers to get their input on the effect

that the MDTs has on the department.

Analysis

After observing the officers and recording data for the duration of fourteen 12-hour shifts,

I began to analyze my data. I used bar graphs to display the quantitative data. These graphs are

displayed as follows:
 Officers provided statements at the conclusion of each shift. Several officers who had

MDTs in their vehicles made the comment that it was more efficient for them to be able to

complete paperwork in their vehicle rather than having to return to the police department each

time they needed to complete a report. They also made note that it was much easier for them to

conduct traffic stops when they were able to pull up the driver’s information and history on a

screen in front of them rather than having to contact dispatch to run the information.

Officers who did not have MDTs in their vehicle wrote that they would prefer to be able

to complete reports in their vehicle. They were also dissatisfied with the fact that they could not

view call notes on a computer screen like officers in neighboring agencies who utilize MDTs.
 I conducted an interview with both the dispatchers and the supervisors. The dispatchers

were very receptive to the use of mobile data terminals by the patrol officers on their shifts.

Dispatchers reported that they did not have to work as hard because officers were able to do a lot

of the work on the MDT that they previously would have to rely on dispatch for. The

supervisors, on the other hand, did not all have positive remarks. One supervisor stated that he

got a complaint from a citizen who observed an officer “playing” on the computer while driving

down the highway. The supervisor did not like the negative image that it brought to the

department.

Findings

After reviewing the data, I was overall pleased with the results. As a person who works

in law enforcement, I was previously of the opinion that mobile data terminals would serve as a

positive tool in making a police officer more productive. My results mostly confirmed my

opinion to be true. Both the qualitative and quantitative data also support this opinion.

In regards to the quantitative data, the overwhelming majority of participants found

mobile data terminals to be useful in their daily patrol duties. 80% of police officers said that the

MDT was useful. 10% did not find the MDT to be useful and 10% had no opinion on the matter.

In reference to the number of tickets and reports being written, the officers who had MDTs in

their vehicle did a significantly greater amount of work than those officers who did not have

MDTs. Officers who had MDTs in their vehicles wrote 23 tickets while those who did not only

wrote 9 tickets. This equates to a 156% increase in ticket writing for those officers who had
MDTs. Also, officers who had MDTs wrote 43% more reports than those who did not have

MDTs.

Statements provided by officers showed that they appreciated having mobile data

terminals in their vehicles and believed that they made them more productive officers. This was

also backed up by the quantitative data that I observed. Officers who did not have MDTs were

of the belief that they would be able to be more productive if they were given access to the

technology in their vehicles.

Interviews with shift dispatchers revealed that they also agreed with the data. Every

dispatcher that I came into contact with was in agreement that MDTs made the officers more

productive. They also noted that it made them more productive as well because they had less

time tied up researching information for officers. Those officers who had MDTs were now able

to get a lot of the information on their MDT that they would previously have had to ask dispatch

for. Shift supervisors, however, had mixed reviews. Some were not happy due to the officer

safety issue that MDTs introduced. Officers may use the computers while driving, which would

pose a safety and liability risk. One supervisor received a complaint from a citizen who

observed an officer driving while using the MDT.

In conclusion, mobile data terminals are a positive tool. The presence of an MDT in a

patrol vehicle makes a police officer much more productive. It enables the officer to complete

work in a quicker and more efficient manner. It also allows the officer to work independently

and not tie up other resources. I believe that all law enforcement agencies should utilize mobile

data terminals in their patrol vehicles. As technology becomes more advanced and affordable, I

hope to see the use of mobile data terminals increase across the country.
 References

Fisher, Christopher J. (2013, March). Police officers’ perception of how mobile dataterminals
affect their productivity: A case study. Retrieved from:  https://search-proquest-
com.login.library.coastal.edu:8443/docview/1346677777

Meehan, Albert J. (1998). The impact of Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) Information Technology
on Communication and Recordkeeping in Patrol Work. Retrieved
from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263460810_The_Impact_of_Mobile_Data_Term
inal_MDT_Information_Technology_on_Communication_and_Recordkeeping_in_Patrol_Work

Dasher, Andrew D.  (February 2016).  Technology distractions on patrol:  Giving police officers
a voice.  Retrieved from:  https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=2880&context=dissertations

Corillo, Glenn.  (March 2003).  The effect of the mobile data terminal on the Virginia Beach
Police Department and the impact of technology on the history of law enforcement.  Retrieved
from:  https://search.proquest.com/docview/305249299

Kristina M. Gruevski, Colin D. McKinnon, Clark R. Dickerson & Jack P. Callaghan. (2013). 
The Impact of Mobile Data Terminal Use on Posture and Low-Back Discomfort When
Combined With Simulated Prolonged Driving in Police Cruisers.  Retrieved from: 
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10803548.2013.11076998