UK police force pilots RFID-based weapon tracking system
11 August, 2010
category: RFID
A UK police force is piloting a RFID-based weapons tracking solution developed by TAGSYS and RFIP Ltd. to secure armaments for military, law enforcement and other agencies.
For the initial installment, the police department is using the system to monitor and track tasers using RFID-equipped storage cabinets. Each taser is tagged with a high frequency TAGSYS Ario 370 small disc module RFID tag, and monitored using TAGSYS Medio P032 OEM RFID readers and antennas mounted in the cabinet.
When an officer needs a taser he presents his ID card to a reader on the cabinet, in which the cabinet checks to see if the officer is authorized to carry tasers. If authorized, the system guides the officer through a series of legal/procedural notices and the taser is then electronically signed for before the system signals one of the drawers to open.
The system, named the Intelligent Drawer Armory System (iDAS), automatically records the issue and return of weapons, providing a complete pedigree for each weapon. It provides a complete service history for each weapon, generates audit reports for supervisors, prevents issue of weapons to unauthorized officers and improves weapon security.