When Corporal Jordan Ferguson started his career in policing 30 years ago, he had a radio and a notebook in his car. Now, when Ferguson patrols the streets of Spokane, he’s tethered to technology.
“We have the main computer, we’re looking at the call we’re being dispatched to, looking at suspect descriptions, trying to pull up booking photos, running registrations. Plus we have a cell phone. And a radio,” Ferguson said.
He put his skills to the test in a high-tech simulator at Washington State University’s Spokane campus. The simulator has a dashboard set up similar to what most police officers use, complete with a mobile data computer at the lower right hand side of the driver.
Researcher Steve James, a doctoral student at WSU who manages the Simulated Hazardous Operational Tasks Laboratory, instructed Ferguson to simulate tasks like reading and sending text messages while driving.