Vsigner: A Better Way to Process Warrants      Arely D. Castillo/The News-Star

    Local law enforcement agencies are partnering in a new pilot program that will decrease the time it takes to submit and execute arrest and search warrants by making the entire process electronic. Representatives from the District Attorney's Office, Ouachita Parish and Morehouse Parish sheriff's offices, Monroe and West Monroe police departments and Louisiana State Police were among those who signed up to participate in the program at the Ouachita Parish Courthouse on Friday. 

 The Vsigner program, provided by VIDATA, will allow law enforcement agencies to submit applications for warrants and affidavits electronically to the judge for consideration, and those applications will be acted upon electronically by the court. "I think it's very significant, and it has great potential," said Judge Wilson Rambo, chief judge for the 4th Judicial District Court. "This program is important not only for convenience or expeditious consideration of warrants, it's about safety." Once an officer submits the form electronically, a text message and email are sent notifying the judge that there is a warrant pending action. Once the judge acts on the warrant, the officer is then notified by email and text message. "Faster action on warrant applications means less time that narcotics agents have standoff type of situations which endanger both the officers and the general public," Rambo said. "Faster execution of a warrant can mean less time before a potentially volatile situation can be brought under control."

Brian Johnson, a representative and owner of VIDATA, said the program will make the entire warrant process more efficient. "What we've done is take the time it takes [officers] to go back and forth to get a warrant and basically eliminated it," he said. Rambo said the transition to electronic warrants will reduce agency expenses and downtime for officers, adding that parishes in the southern half of Louisiana are using the program with positive results. "This will allow the submission of that warrant in a fraction of the time," he said. Johnson said officers will be able to begin using the program by Monday.