Placentia Police Department replacing outdated software system that officials said takes time from patrolling

Placentia will spend up to $592,200 to replace outdated software for the Police Department, which officials said will significantly reduce workloads and keep more officers on the streets.

The City Council recently approved a five-year contract for the Mark43 system. The new software  will overhaul the department’s process for managing records, dispatch, evidence logging and other support services.

Speaking before the council, Police Chief Darin Lenyi said the department’s current, decade-old software system requires officers to come into the station to file police reports. Lenyi said officers sometimes have to re-enter the same information in multiple computers before it can be correctly recorded in the system.

The process is convoluted and time-consuming, he said.

“As chief I do not feel confident that the stats we report are exactly accurate,” he said.

Among other perks, the new system allows officers to file police reports from mobile devices in the field, which will dramatically reduce workloads, he said.

Because the city currently pays about $100,000 annually to maintain the old system, an upgrade to the new system would only cost an additional $17,340, Lenyi said.

The department is recommending the first year be paid through asset forfeiture funds, while subsequent years be paid through Public Safety Mitigation Fee funds or the General Fund.

The new system is expected to go live in May.