E-ticketing an example of working smarter

You have likely heard the term "work smarter." In business, it's a way of talking about efficiency, whether through time or other resources. The same concept applies to government.

At the Cape Girardeau City Council meeting earlier this month, first-round approval was given to start an electronic ticketing system. The estimated cost of the system is $140,000, and the city expects a savings of $163,000 annually through time and revenue. The system would facilitate the ticketing process for police officers.

Southeast Missourian reporter Emily Priddy recently wrote a story about how the system will work. The police department hopes to purchase 30 handheld devices. The device would scan a driver's license and the officer would be able to select from a list of offenses. A ticket would be printed at the scene for the driver and, in lieu of time-consuming data entry, the information is sent to the city prosecutor for approval.

Among the advantages, according to police department public information officer Darin Hickey: Save time with data entry and reduce errors; provide a safer process for police officers since less time will be spent on the side of the road; and reduce time spent on the side of the road for drivers.

The city council voted during its Jan. 6 meeting to approve $500,000 from a city Innovation Fund. The account is made up of casino funds paid to the city for one-time costs. Other expenses to be paid for through this allocation include leadership training, computer equipment and software and registration software for the parks and recreation department.

A final vote regarding the funds is expected at the Tuesday city council meeting.

E-ticketing appears to be a valuable endeavor. While much of the savings is generated from time saved, this presumably means officers will have more time to fulfill other responsibilities such as patrols. We believe that is a value to the city.