The need for accountability and transparency in our use-of-force reporting is evident. Events occurring around the country have made that fact even more apparent, and the required reporting of use-of-force events is coming. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch has recently said, “The new national database aims to gather all types of police interactions, including non-lethal confrontations like traffic stops, allowing federal law enforcers to monitor trends and any regional discrepancies.”
Having the ability to accurately record and report your agency’s activities concerning use-of-force events is critical to our ability to identify training issues as well as provide an early warning system that will notify us when we have potential concerns.
After the careful consideration and evaluation of several use-of-force software programs, the Florida Sheriffs Risk Management Fund identified the Force Accountability and Community Transparency Software (FACTS) as a solution for this issue.
FACTS is a product of LEFTA Systems, which has provided law enforcement software programs since 2006. The FACTS software is intended to protect your agency from liability by properly documenting various high-liability events and providing numerous reports with hundreds of statistics. This use-of-force software is a web-based solution that allows deputies the ability to document use-of-force incidents immediately and while working in the field.
Utilizing the statistical data collected, your management team can easily review how employees are applying force and be alerted to potential problem employees. Numerous reports and hundreds of statistics are readily available and easy to access. The potential federal and state reporting requirements can be customized in a quick and accurate report format.
If you decide to utilize this program, your agency will not be required to adjust or change reporting procedures to conform to the software; rather, the software is uniquely customized for each agency and will adapt to the procedures, terminology, polices and use-of-force continuum that are already in place.
The FACTS use-of-force software system has been purchased by the Florida Sheriffs Risk Management Fund through an agreement with LEFTA and is being offered to Sheriffs who are members of the Fund at no charge. Installing, training and customizing the system for your agency and up to 5GB of memory storage are provided as part of our agreement with LEFTA. There is no cost to you unless you decide to purchase other modules provided by LEFTA. These options include the Internal Affairs Module or the Business Intelligence Module.
This is a great opportunity for you and your agency to participate in this program. Please contact us at the Florida Sheriffs Risk Management Fund if you have any questions or would like to schedule a demonstration of the FACTS use-of-force software for your agency.
For more information on FSRMF’s services and coverages, give us a call at 850-320-6880.
By Gene Revell, FSRMF Risk Control Specialist