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Regular tablets are inadequate for extreme or harsh environments and demanding industries. Law enforcement officials working in these conditions need rugged tablets that effectively combine the power of enterprise-grade computers and the versatility and flexibility of tablets.
These professionals – particularly those working on the front lines – like police officers prefer lightweight, compact, and highly mobile tablets. Naturally, these devices must facilitate on-the-go connectivity and keep users secure from cyber threats and online hackers.
Equally important, the rugged tablet should allow them to:
The device should also support law enforcement for critical public applications like:
To meet all these objectives, the rugged tablet must have these seven features:
Police operate in all kinds of dangerous, harsh, and unpredictable environments. That's why the rugged tablet must have a durable, thick, and strong housing that can withstand such conditions without adversely impacting usability, operations, or performance.
The tablet must also remain operational, regardless of rain, dust, smoke, shocks, vibrations, jostles, or drops.
Ideally, it must include a:
One great example of a highly durable tablet that's perfect for law enforcement is the Zebra L10, with an IP65 rating. This dust-tight tablet is also resistant to low-pressure water jets. Zebra's ET80 and ET85 rugged 2-in-1 tablets are also dust-tight and IP65 waterproof.
For law enforcement officials who travel a lot between locations, the rugged tablet should function like their window to the world. So, whether they're at the location of an alleged crime or in a vehicle, it should provide reliable and uninterrupted broadband/Wi-Fi connectivity.
The device should expedite real-time access to various kinds of databases and information. Not to mention that the best-rugged tablets are those that are "vehicle-ready." This means the device must include an integrated, dedicated GPS and an antenna pass-through that connects to the dock (see #6 below). High acquisition speeds and location accuracy are also vital for precise data access and accurate reporting for law enforcement use.
Law enforcement devices contain a lot of sensitive data that can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. A cyber attacker or data thief who can break into law enforcement databases can wreak havoc, not only by embarrassing the agency but also by risking public health and lives. To protect their sensitive data, their rugged tablets must provide government-grade security.
For instance, all of Zebra's rugged tablets are protected by enterprise-class security to provide agencies with high visibility and control over their data. As a result, they can effortlessly manage and ensure readiness and uninterrupted uptime for their needs.
Some of the security features that Zebra rugged tablets provide (either in-built or as additional options) include:
Every country has some kind of a law enforcement ecosystem. If the in-vehicle tablet used by their personnel can handle a wide temperature variance, it will better serve an officer's needs. That's why these devices should be able to function in the country's temperature zone, whether it's sub-zero, rainy, moderate, or extremely hot. These should also function reliably if the country or area experiences extreme temperature variations during the year.
Unfortunately, traffic crashes involving police officers are not unheard-of. According to one FBI report, vehicle-related incidents are one of the leading causes of death for law enforcement officials in the line of duty.
If an officer is in a crash and has a high chance of survival, the rugged tablet should not impact these chances by way of sharp edges or shredded components. The tablet – and its vehicle dock (see below) – should also pass car crash tests to ensure officer safety, even if they're involved in an accident. It should also be ergonomically designed to enhance officer safety and ensure ease of use.
Every Zebra tablet meets the mission requirements of public sector organizations, including law enforcement. Designed to improve public safety, these devices undergo multiple safety tests to protect in-vehicle officers in case of an unfortunate incident.
For in-vehicle police use, the rugged tablet must be securely positioned in a vehicle dock to ensure high efficiency, reliability, and performance. Ideally, the vehicle dock should have a tri-RF pass-through. It must also be key-lockable to prevent theft.
All Zebra rugged tablets come with universal docking solutions for vehicles. These include the ET51/ET56 series, ET80/ET85 series, and the L10 XSlate/XPad/XBook.
The rugged tablet's display must be highly readable, both indoors and out. This is an important feature because police officials operate in all kinds of indoor and outdoor environments, where they:
That's why a touch panel and high-quality LCD screen are crucial.
The device must offer high contrast, ensure easy, strain-free visibility, and display crisp text and colors. Plus, it should easily respond to all kinds of inputs, whether they come in from fingers, gloves, or pens.
The Zebra L10 XSlate is a 2-in-1 laptop/tablet with a super-strong yet super-light magnesium frame. It comes with Gorilla® Glass and an auto-sensing glove/wet-touch function for easy touch operations. Other Zebra tablets like ET51/ET56 are also easy to read in bright daylight.
Rugged tablets have become a must-have accessory for law enforcement agencies. Governments often buy such devices in bulk and expect to use them for several years without replacement. So before making a large investment on a limited budget, it's important that government buyers make the right choice. And for this, they should keep in mind the seven key considerations highlighted above.
