It is almost 9:00AM on a sunny Wednesday morning as I park across the street from the Dubuque Police Department. I am about to embark on my first-ever Ride Along. After a few anxious minutes sitting in the waiting area, Patrol Officer Ella Link steps out of the door to introduce herself. I follow her to the police cruiser in the parking lot, where I will ride with her in the front seat for the first 4 hours of her shift, witnessing a tiny cross section of life in Iowa’s oldest city.
She apologizes for the wait, as her typical day begins with line-up/attendance for the daily shift briefing, receiving notes and updates with the previous shift. This can range from updates on wanted suspects, active local lookouts, incident reports, or traffic complaints/updates. She also gets her territory assignment during the shift briefing, which will be Territory 105. Her shift is 9:00AM-7:00PM, Sunday-Wednesday. She smiles as she lets me know it is her Friday.
Once outside, she does an outside gear check of the cruiser and her uniform equipment. This includes her body armor vest as well as her duty gear- a utility belt carrying her gun, other less lethal service weapons, handcuffs, and essential safety tools. Not a lightweight, easy get-up to wear for the hot summer days (including the approximately 50-lbs of added weight)! She checks that her body-worn camera on her vest is docked and syncing.
As I enter the police cruiser, I am amazed at the amount of technology surrounding me. These are small mobile data centers. I first noticed what is called a Mobile Data Terminal (MDT). This laptop/touchscreen is mounted on the dashboard for running license plate checks, receiving dispatch information, and running reports. The cruisers receive real-time data feeds and alerts from Dubuque’s network of over 1,300 surveillance cameras and fixed Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) which are managed by the department. There is a radio system that connects officers to Law Enforcement and public safety networks. A video system synchronizes with her body-worn camera. Finally, all the checks are completed.
It’s time to hit the road.
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