Sand Springs Police Department Saves Thousands Using Electronic Ticketing Program

By Jennifer Broaddus, The News On 6

SAND SPRINGS, Oklahoma -- Green Country police departments have a ticket to success with a new electronic ticketing program.

Not only are they creating faster, safer traffic stops for officers and drivers, they're also creating jobs in Oklahoma.

"We were looking for something that was going to help us though the economic times. We're like everybody else, we are having to do more with less," said Assistant Chief Mike Carter, Sand Springs Police. 

Going paperless was the answer for the Sand Springs Police Department. New DigiTicket machines let officers write tickets electronically. 

A small, hand-held device tracks the ticket from the traffic stop to the courtroom with only a small paper receipt for the driver. 

"One of the mandates from our city manager was that we couldn't start any programs that couldn't pay for itself," Carter said.

The police department used money from a JAG grant and drug forfeiture funds to pay for the new technology. And the purchase paid off, saving the department more than $70,000 in just one year.

"This program has been so successful in just the savings to the police department in man power and time and effort that we were able to show that immediately," said Carter.

DigiTicket is not only boosting the economy in Sand Springs, it's creating jobs across the state in Sapulpa, Broken Arrow, Krebs, Talala and Catoosa. 

"This is a technology that makes sense, not just in the United States, not just in Oklahoma, but really anywhere there are agencies writing traffic tickets," said Eric Fultz, Saltus Technology CEO & President.

Electronic tickets cut down on overhead costs at police departments, saving jobs for officers. DigiTickets are creating jobs at the Tulsa company that sells them. 

Saltus Technologies has grown 50 percent since February and company officials say they hope to hire more employees soon.

"We expect to grow by another 50 percent, which would be six of seven employees in the next 12 to 18 months," Fultz said. 

Saltus Technologies is already negotiating with police departments in Kansas and Missouri and hopes to sell their DigiTickets internationally soon.