Government
Pandemic drives law enforcement agencies to alcohol screening kiosks
March 31, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted four additional law enforcement agencies to deploy Precision Kiosk Technologies' AB Kiosk for conducting court-mandated alcohol monitoring, according to a press release.
Since Oct. 1, 2020, four 24/7 sobriety programs in South Dakota have autonomously conducted more than 50,000 alcohol screening tests using seven AB Kiosks. These include: the 24/7 sobriety programs managed by the sheriff's offices of Brown and Brookings counties; the police department of Ferndale, Michigan; and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Saipan.
Courts often require clients to refrain from using alcohol as a condition of their pre-trial release, probation or diversion program. To monitor compliance with these orders, clients must submit to daily alcohol screening, a process that is typically administered using handheld breathalyzers.
During the pandemic, many jurisdictions have had to halt their alcohol screening programs to protect their clients and staff from the virus.
The AB Kiosk system eliminates the need for face-to-face interactions between clients and staff by automating the entire alcohol monitoring process. The interactive kiosk verifies the identity of the individual, captures still images and video as it administers each breathalyzer test, and automatically uploads all client data to cloud-based storage.
The kiosk can test up to 30 individuals per hour, and law enforcement staff can access testing data from any computer or smartphone. In addition, the kiosk frees up staff for higher-value work, reduces administrative costs and identifies those who violate the conditions of their release.
For an update on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting kiosks, click here.
