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Ionic - Search Vehicle Results

This article is a continuation of the Vehicle Search and explains how to interpret the results after looking up a vehicle. Understanding the information presented is crucial for verifying parking rights, reviewing a vehicle's history, and making informed enforcement decisions. This guide is intended for personnel using OPS-COM handheld units.

Understanding the Results Screen

After performing a search, the application presents detailed information in a multi-layered interface, starting with a summary and allowing you to access more specific details.

Results Summary

Immediately after a successful search, a list of potential plate matches is shown while a summary for the vehicles are displayed. This initial view typically shows the license plate, Province/State, and type of vehicle (passenger, commercial, etc.). 

Quick Actions

Tapping on the vehicle record in the results list expands a More Details section, revealing more information on the make, model, color of car (if available), details on the violation history, and a set of quick action buttons.

[Image showing the More Details section with action buttons]

  • Chalk: Initiates the Virtual Chalking workflow for time-limit enforcement.

  • Violation: Proceeds directly to the Issuing a Violation screen for the selected vehicle.

  • Details: Opens a comprehensive screen with the vehicle's complete history.

Details

For a complete overview of a vehicle's record, tap the Details button. This screen provides an in-depth history organized into three distinct tabs, Current Permits, Violations, and Recent Chalk Records.

The Details screen is the central hub for all historical data related to a vehicle in the OPS-COM system. Reviewing the information on these tabs provides a complete picture before taking any enforcement action.

Current Permits

This tab displays a complete list of all current permits associated with the license plate. Each entry provides key information such as the permit type, its validity period (start and end dates), and the specific lots where it is valid.

Violations

This tab provides a historical log of all violations previously issued to the vehicle. For each entry, you can review the violation date, type of infraction, and its current status (e.g., paid, outstanding). 

When reviewing a vehicle’s violation details, you will see two key summary numbers at the top. These two lines serve different—but critical—purposes for understanding enforcement policies. 
1. All-Time Violations (Total Paid, Unpaid, and Warnings) - This count includes every non-spoiled violation the vehicle has ever received and will match the count in More Details on the main search results screen. This all-time total may be higher than the actual list of violations visible on the page. This is because the list is filtered by the Violation History on Handhelds setting (e.g., only the last 6 months), while this summary counts everything.

2. History Period Violations (Violations within the current window) - This count only includes violations that occurred within the date range set in System Settings > Violations > Violation History on Handhelds. Example: Your system may be set to boot a car after 5 violations. If your policy is to enforce this per year (last 12 months), this number tells you the relevant total (e.g., 3 violations in the last 12 months) even if the All-Time total is 10. This ensures officers apply policies correctly without counting ancient history.

Recent Chalk Records

This tab shows a history of all Virtual Chalking events for the vehicle. It serves as a log to track time-limit enforcement, displaying the date, time, and location of each chalking instance.

Best Practices & Considerations

  • Always review all three tabs in the Details screen to get a complete vehicle history before issuing a violation. A pattern of previous violations or chalks can provide important context for enforcement.

  • When checking the Permits tab, pay close attention to the valid dates and lot assignments for each permit to ensure the vehicle is compliant at the current time and location.

  • The accuracy of the data depends on the device's last synchronization. A green connection dot indicates you are viewing real-time information, while a yellow dot means the data is from the device's local cache.

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