The Virtual Chalking (or e-chalking) feature in the legacy OPS-COM Android application is an electronic process that mirrors manually chalking a vehicle's tire to track parking durations. Its primary purpose is to provide enforcement officers with a time-efficient way to manage time-limited parking areas and grace periods, automatically generating time-stamped photographic evidence for potential violations. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators and field enforcement personnel using the legacy Android application.
## Setup and Configuration Virtual chalking is a native feature of the enforcement application. **Admin Side:** Administrators must ensure that parking lots with timed parking or permit grace periods are properly configured within the core OPS-COM administrative portal. **User Side (Enforcement Staff):** Enforcement officers must have the legacy OPS-COM Android app installed, be logged into an active account, and have granted the application permission to use the device's camera. ## Using this Feature Enforcement personnel can use the handheld application to record a vehicle's presence at a specific time. Note that vehicle plates are automatically chalked when initially searched via LPR, but officers can perform a manual chalk to add contextual information and specific images. ### Performing a Manual Virtual Chalk 1. Tap **Search Vehicle** to open the vehicle search window. 2. Enter a plate number and tap the **search** icon. 3. Tap and Hold the listed vehicle in the search results to access the advanced information screen. 4. Tap the **Virtual Chalk** button to access the chalking function. 5. Tap the **image** icon to open the camera and snap a picture of the vehicle. 6. Tap **Save** on the thumbnail view to record the chalking timestamp. ### Visual Cues and Status Indicators - **Elapsed Time Indicator:** If you search for the same vehicle again later, the screen will refresh and display red text indicating exactly how many minutes ago the vehicle was last chalked. - **Time and Date Stamp:** Tapping the information box on the advanced listing screen will display a full-frame view of the captured image, complete with a visible time and date stamp located at the bottom right corner of the image.**Court-Admissible Evidence** Virtual chalking provides photographic proof that is seamlessly attached to a violation. This evidence is generally acceptable in a court of law or formal appeal, provided the date and time stamp is clearly visible on the image. The chalked image remains a permanent part of the violation unless the patrol officer manually deletes it.
--- ## Best Practices and Considerations - **Capture contextual images for manual entries:** **If you enter a plate via text or voice when chalking, you must manually take a contextual image to record the time stamp.** The system only captures these automatically when using LPR/OCR camera mode (which automatically grabs both a close-up of the plate and a contextual full-back image). - **Take multiple images when issuing violations:** **When capturing the plate a second time to issue the actual violation, take multiple images.** Using both the timestamped chalk image and the time printed on the ticket allows you to definitively prove the time the vehicle was parked. There is no limit to the number of images you can attach. - **Leverage chalking for grace periods:** **Use virtual chalking to manage grace periods fairly.** For example, if a vehicle is parked and the owner is walking to a pay station to purchase a permit, chalking the vehicle allows a fair grace period for them to obtain it before a violation is issued on a subsequent patrol pass.