Sheriff's department streamlines traffic citation process with iOS devices

The next time you're caught speeding in St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana, don't be surprised if the sheriff uses an iPad or iPhone to write your ticket. The Sheriff's Office in this parish about 30 miles west of New Orleans is using a ticketing solution developed by Zerion Software on their iFormBuilder platform for iOS.

The idea behind the system is to allow law enforcement officers to enter data directly onto an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch while they're talking with drivers. They won't have to return to their vehicles to enter the information into a dashboard-mounted computer, thus saving time.

Data entry errors are expected to fall as well thanks to the use of a Socket Mobile barcode scanner to capture driver's license and vehicle information. The ticket is printed on a Zebra mobile printer and given to the errant driver. The citation info is sent to a server for storage and processing, or held for later transfer if the device is offline.

There's no word on whether the devices will be pre-loaded with Angry Birds for those long traffic stakeouts, or use Siri to find local donut shops.