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P1 Technology Helpdesk with Tech Help Correspondent John Rivera

P1 Exclusive: One for the thumb (drive)

Related article:
P1 Tech Helpdesk: Demystifying the desktop

Fellow Officers, my name is John Rivera and I presently work as a Patrol Officer in Bremerton, Washington. I started my Police career as a volunteer Reserve Officer here in Bremerton and have worked in several security and Police-type jobs as a civilian with the U.S. Navy.

Previous to the start of my Police career, I was a Network Administrator and Systems Engineer at several IT companies here in Washington. On top of the experience I’d accrued by repairing my own PCs, I earned a Computer Programming Degree and worked for approximately two and a half years in the industry. I wasn’t the help desk guy everyone hates to call because of all the “geek-speak” someone typically gets when they call tech support. I made it a point to speak plainly enough so they could understand what I was saying.

When I started my Police career, I noticed that everyone uses a computer. Like anywhere else, there’s a network, people create documents, they use email, and as is the case in any office, I noticed people merely using a computer, not utilizing it to its fullest potential or reaping from it all the benefits it can give.

Because of my previous work and personal knowledge of computer, I’ve been able help fellow officers with computer tips, streamlining their work, eliminating aggravation, and saving time. Because as officers, we want to spend as little time in the office as possible, so we can chase and catch the bad guys.

Before I get into my first tip, I want to provide a quick précis on basic computer stuff (still avoiding that “geek-speak” of which I spoke) to lay a foundation:
• The first computers occupied whole floors and had just a fraction of storage capacity found in the typical desktop PC, or palm-sized devices
• Kilobyte (KB), Megabyte MB), and Gigabyte (Gig) refer to measurement of digital information
• A single byte is a string of ones and zeros, and this combination of ones and zeros make a binary string
• A binary string makes up digital information (music, video, documents, etc) – a single MP (Media Program) 3 song is usually measured in megabytes
• Most documents are measured in Kilobytes and can measure into the Megabyte range, depending on how much information you put on it
• The Windows XP operating system measures approximately 783 Megabytes – if you look in your “My Documents” folder in the “size” column you’ll probably observe that most items weigh in anywhere between 2KB and 2,500KB
• A single Gigabyte consists of one million bytes – to get a sense of scale of a Gigabyte, consider that you would need approximately one thousand 1.44MB 3 ½ inch floppy disk disks to store a single gigabyte of information
• Enough about the numbers and figures because I know you want to learn to work with computers

My first tip. Buy a Thumb (Flash) Drive. If you ever wanted to buy one and are having problems deciding how to buy one then use it, hopefully by the end of this article you will be able to decide how to buy one then have an idea how use it to your benefit.

What is a Thumb Drive?
Think of a Thumb Drive as a portable hard drive — a hard drive is what holds all your information on a computer. The only difference is that a Thumb Drive can fit easily into your pocket. You can store just about any kind of digital information you can think of. They have been around for several years, and just like all other electronics, they started out being rather expensive and decreased in price over time. Thumb Drive prices can range anywhere from five dollars to fifty dollars, depending on the storage size.

Where to buy one?
You can buy a Flash Drive most anywhere home electronics are sold; Office Depot, Target, Wal-Mart, and even at the local grocery store. Many departments are even issuing them to officers. I buy my personal electronics from TigerDirect.com, one of the many online stores that sell all sorts of electronic items sell at a considerable discount compared to stores.

Storage Space and Size.
Once you decide where to buy your Thumb Drive, it is important to decide how much space and portability you need. Think about how much information you want to carry with you. No matter how big or small your information storage needs are, there is an appropriately sized thumb drive. There many variations of size, from 64 Megabytes to several Gigabytes. In my opinion, a one or two Gigabyte thumb drive is generally an adequate amount of space.

Carry.
For portability, it is important to consider where you want to keep it until you need to use it. A fellow officer carries his on a lanyard tied to the vest under his uniform shirt. I carry a type that is flat and has an incorporated cover that sits perfectly in my pocket.

Function.
I use mine to carry my traffic infraction templates. Another way I use it is to plug it in my vehicle MCT. Once plugged in, I open a word doc and copy and paste information from my information readout. After I know what information I need, I save the Word document on the Thumb Drive, which plugs directly into the USB (USB stands for Universal Serial Bus – A plug that accepts many newer devices. Newer PC’s have at least two of them. Many now offer up four or more USB plugs) port. That way I don’t have to trouble dispatch with a hard copy and fax to the office. Now I have all the information on the detail, subject, and vehicle with me, and all I have to do is copy and paste into the information into the report generator.

I have found that this is especially helpful for telephone detail. I stop my car in a safe place, plug in my drive, open a new word doc, type the person’s statement, and save the document to the thumb drive. Once you start your report all you have to do is tune it up, copy and paste your statement from the document you opened and onto your report generator, which saves valuable time.

Closing.
As you use the thumb drive, I’m sure you will find ways to use them for your Law Enforcement benefit. I know this may be a new concept for some of you but keep in mind this is the twenty-first century. Some criminals are adept at using computers and the internet to perpetrate their crimes, and we as Law Enforcement must learn to use the tools that are available to us to slow down and stop the criminals in their tracks.

So long for now. Stay safe & Keep the rubber side down.

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