Washington County Public Safety Equipment and Technology

The Washington County Sheriff's Office requests funding to secure two airboats and a digital evidence management system to support public safety.

With 251 lakes in Washington County, the waterways patrolled by the Sheriff's Office vary in both terrain and accessibility. By utilizing airboats, rescuers are provided with a secure and stable platform to navigate through unstable ice and wetland areas, granting access to remote locations. These boats allow responders to safely navigate and transition from solid ground, swamp, ice, or open water with enhanced response times and reliability to perform essential lifesaving operations.

The majority of criminal investigations involve digital evidence in some form, and the current management process utilized by the Sheriff's Office is limited by space, functionality, and performance constraints. The implementation of a cloud-hosted case management system would allow not only the Sheriff's Office, but all municipal public safety agencies in Washington County, the ability to efficiently store, analyze, and share digital evidence, thereby improving the communication and overall effectiveness of public safety operations throughout the community. 

The proposed funding for airboats and a digital evidence management system would be a wise investment in the safety and security of the community.