Municipal Government RFID and Bar Code Applications

640px 4.29.11NewYorkCityHallByLuigiNoviGovernment agencies, law enforcement and public safety agencies of all sizes are turning to RFID and barcode technology to accomplish everything from stimulating recycling to weapons inventory management. Read about how RFID and barcodes have improved residents' lives and created efficiencies in various departments. 

RFID Helps Clean Up Mumbai - The city of Mumbai, India has taken a big step toward more efficient solid waste management practices. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai has integrated passive RFID technology and active real-time location services (RTLS) with its fleet. By using color-coded maps, waste management officials can track which areas have been serviced, which ones are being serviced currently, and which areas remain to be serviced. The RFID tags and real-time location service combine to provide better management of its 4,000 collection points.  

Police Force Seeks to Lower Roadside Deaths - What situation is most fatal for police officers? It's not firearms-related, as many would think. More than 60% of all  officer deaths between 2000 and 2009 were a result of motor vehicle accidents, and 42% of those occurred during traffic stops. The Buffalo Valley Regional Police Department looked to lower the incidence by reducing the time it takes to conduct a stop. Their response? Barcode scanning technology that results in an e-citation.

Texas Police Department Saves Time and Money With RFID and Barcodes - Before the introduction of RFID tags and handheld RFID readers, Richardson, Texas police officers were spending a minimum of 15 minutes every shift recording serial numbers from each radio, shotgun, citation printers and other equipment they checked out. Now they are saving 7.5 to 12 hours of labor daily which would otherwise be devoted to cataloging inventory.

QR Codes and Bar Codes Are Transforming Government - The traditionally slow-to-change nature of federal, state and local government agencies is getting an upgrade. Many governmental organizations are converting historically manual activities with QR codes and 2D bar code technology. Find out six ways government agencies are streamlining their activities.

Maryland Law Enforcement Streamlines Evidence and Weapons Inventory - Law enforcement agencies are faced with inventory management issues in their equipment store rooms and evidence rooms. Risk of loss, accounting mistakes and the cost of carrying inventory all require attention. Many law enforcement agencies have turned to RFID to solve these issues. RFID tags placed on evidence help to manage chain-of-custody process for the Prince George's County Police Department.

Recycling Program Sees a Big Boost Early Thanks to RFID Tags - The City of Dayton, Ohio ran a pilot program to reduce recycling costs while increasing participation in its recycling program. Alien Technology and CDO Technologies partnered to provide RFID tags and mobile RFID readers to the waste management department. The result? A participation increase of 40% and a 260% increase in recycled material collections, which led to a sharp reduction in the $40 per-ton rate it paid transporting trash to landfills.

RFID Tracks Police Guns and Vests - The City of Hamburg, Germany has changed its inventory management practices by embedding small rugged RFID tags into its weapons and bulletproof vests. The system automatically identifies and registers each piece of equipment during check out and check in. The RFID system matches the assigned weapons and bulletproof vest with the appropriate police officer. Adopting RFID technology has improved inventory control and reduced logging times.

Oregon RFID Helps Game Wardens Track Wildlife - Wildlife tracking has been a critical activity for state preserves, wildlife parks and fisheries for decades. Oregon RFID has developed an RFID tag system that can be read by monitoring stations throughout a park. The system uses Half Duplex (HDX) and Full Duplex (FDX) RFID tags for long-distance or faster read speeds, depending on the need.

Canadian Agriculture Agency Invests in RFID Technology - The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency put a $1.6 million investment into RFID technology to track livestock, hoping to give Canadian producers a competitive edge in the global market. It has adopted an RFID-based national traceability system, which is expected to link cattle producers and auction marts. By creating a link between the two entities, it will allow auction marts to track livestock more efficiently and effectively and match sales data with inventory.

Small City Uses QR Codes to Inspire Community Involvement - In Manor, Texas, officials wanted to make city hall more transparent and efficient while encouraging citizens to make recommendations and participate in local surveys. Through their cell phones, citizens can scan QR codes and retrieve information about historic properties, city services and other areas of interest.

Top photo: The New York City Hall on 5th Avenue at 41st Street in Manhattan, photographed April 29, 2011.
Photographed by Luigi Novi.

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