Violations Configuration

• Ticket Categories
• Ticket Offence Items
• Sort Violations for Quick Access
• Handhelds Devices Settings (Handheld Commons)

Ticket Categories

The Ticket Categories feature allows administrators to define and manage different types of violations, such as municipal, parking, or bicycle infractions. Its primary purpose is to ensure accurate incident reporting, enforce specific rules, and tailor violation processes by determining whether tickets apply to vehicles or users. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for configuring violation types and enforcement settings.

Setup and Configuration

This feature is a core administrative tool used to establish the types of violations available in the system.

Admin Side: Administrators must have the appropriate system role permissions enabled to access the violation configuration menus and manage ticket categories.

User Side: This feature is strictly a backend administrative configuration. End-users do not interact directly with ticket categories, though they will see the specific category name printed on any violation notices they receive.

Using this Feature

Administrators can use the following instructions to navigate the management interface to seamlessly add, edit, or archive ticket categories.

Accessing the Management Interface

1. Hover over System Configuration, click Violations, and then click Manage Ticket Categories.

Adding Ticket Categories

1. Click the Add Ticket Category button.

2. Enter the descriptive name of the violation in the Ticket Category Name field.

3. Enable the Handheld Visible toggle to allow the category to be selected by enforcement officers on their mobile devices.

4. Select the appropriate options under Applies To to determine if the ticket can be issued to Vehicles, Users, or both.

5. Enable the Enable Fail To Identify toggle if this ticket category applies to users.

6. Click the Save Changes button to add the new ticket category to the list.

Editing Ticket Categories

1. Locate the specific ticket category you wish to edit in the list.

2. Click the Edit button next to the category.

3. Make the necessary updates to the configuration fields.

4. Click the Save Changes button to apply your updates.

Archiving Ticket Categories

1. Locate the specific ticket category you wish to remove from the active list.

2. Click the Delete button next to the category.

3. Confirm the action when prompted.

While the interface uses a delete button, ticket categories are not actually permanently removed from the system's database. Instead, they are archived. This preserves the integrity of any historical data associated with that ticket type so that past violations and reports remain accurate.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Establish clarity and specificity: Create ticket types that are clear, specific, and easily understood by both enforcement officers and users. Utilizing distinct names like No Permit, Fire Lane, or Smoking Violation reduces confusion in the field and on the user portal.

• Manage handheld visibility carefully: Carefully manage the Handheld Visible setting. Only enable ticket types that your field officers actively enforce to prevent device clutter and streamline the ticket issuance process.

• Utilize flexible application options: Leverage the ability to apply tickets to vehicles, users, or both. This accommodates a broader range of enforcement scenarios beyond traditional parking infractions, such as issuing a direct behavioral violation to a specific user profile.

• Acknowledge data integrity archiving: Understand that deleting a ticket type archives it. Historical reports will still accurately reflect past violations, even if the category is no longer actively used by your organization.

• Train enforcement staff: Ensure enforcement staff are thoroughly trained on the proper use and selection of ticket categories. Proper training, especially for violations applied directly to users, ensures accurate data capture and reduces appeal requests.

Ticket Offence Items

The Ticket Offence Items feature allows administrators to define the specific violations that can be issued within the system, such as Parked with No Proof of Payment or Expired Meter. Its primary purpose is to configure fine amounts, discounts, and specific behaviors for each offence, ensuring accurate and consistent enforcement across both web and handheld platforms. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for configuring violation structures and enforcement settings.

Setup and Configuration

This feature is a core administrative tool used to establish the fines and violations available for issuance by enforcement staff.

Admin Side: Administrators must have the appropriate system role permissions enabled to access the violation configuration menus and manage ticket offence items.

User Side: End-users do not interact directly with this configuration, but the settings defined here dictate the exact fine amounts, discounts, and violation descriptions they see when issued a ticket.

Using this Feature

Administrators can use the following instructions to navigate the management interface to seamlessly add, configure, edit, or archive ticket offence items.

Accessing the Management Interface

1. Hover over System Configuration, click Violations, then Manage Ticket Offence Items.

Adding a New Offence Item

1. Select the specific category you wish to add an offence item to from the Ticket Category drop-down menu in the top left box, or choose Unassigned Offence Items.

2. Click the Add New Offence Item button.

3. Enter a description for the violation in the Violation Type Description field.

4. Select the appropriate category from the Ticket Category drop-down menu.

5. Enter a tracking code in the Key field if utilizing internal audit codes.

6. Enter a code in the By-Law code field if linking violations to specific municipal by-laws for court collections.

7. Enable the Administrative Fee checkbox if this item is strictly a backend admin fee.

8. Click the Save New Offence Item button.

Setting the Fine Amount and Discount

1. Enter the base monetary penalty in the Fine Amount field.

2. Enable the Apply Discount checkbox to offer a reduced rate for early payment.

3. Enter the monetary amount of the discount in the Discount Amount field.

4. Enter the number of days the user has to pay the reduced rate in the Discount Days field.

5. Click the Save Ticket Offence Item button.

If the base fine is set to $30.00, and a discount of $10.00 is applied if paid within 14 days, the collected fine will be $20.00. After 14 days, the discount automatically expires, and the full $30.00 is due.

Configuring Adjustable Fine Amounts

Officers can increase or reduce a ticket amount at their discretion (e.g., for repeat offenders or multiple stacked violations) if this setting is enabled.

1. Enable the Adjust Fine Amount checkbox in the ticket configuration screen. When enabled, the fine amount will appear in black text on handheld units, allowing patrol officers to manually edit the amount. When disabled, the fine amount appears as a grey, non-editable figure on handhelds.

Configuring Administration Fees

Admin fees are useful for backend charges like conviction fees or booting fees. Offence items designated as administration fees do not show on handheld units and are only visible on the admin interface, ensuring field officers do not issue them directly.

1. Enable the Administrative Fee checkbox.

2. Enter the desired charge in the Fine Amount field.

3. Click the Save Ticket Offence Item button.

Editing Offence Items

1. Click the Pencil icon next to the specific offence item in the list.

2. Make the necessary updates to the configuration fields.

3. Click the Update Ticket Offence Item button to confirm.

Archiving and Deleting Offence Items

1. Click the Delete button next to the specific offence item.

Ticket offence items can only be deleted if there are no violations already written for that particular offence item. Once a violation has been issued using a specific offence item, it can no longer be deleted. Instead, clicking delete will automatically archive the item to preserve the integrity of historical data and reports.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Use clear and specific offence names: Use descriptive names for offence items to avoid ambiguity. Distinguishing between "No Parking - Fire Lane" and a generic "Parking Violation" provides better reporting and clarity for users.

• Implement a strategic fine and discount structure: Carefully define your fine amounts and discount structures to encourage timely payment. Align these settings with your organization's overarching enforcement policies.

• Manage handheld visibility effectively: Strategically decide which offence items are visible on handhelds. Keep the list concise for field officers by moving less common or backend-only fees to the Administration Fees category.

• Maintain by-law code accuracy: For municipalities, ensure the By-Law Code is accurately entered and consistent with legal requirements for court collections.

• Leverage alphanumeric sorting: To achieve a specific custom sort order on both admin interfaces and handheld units, prefix the Offence Item Name with numbers or spaces. The system sorts the list alphanumerically (a space is considered higher than an 'A').

• Establish rules for adjustable fines: Leverage the Adjust Fine Amount feature with clear business rules for officers. Properly categorize what violations apply to vehicles versus users to fit various enforcement scenarios securely.

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Related Videos

Sort Violations for Quick Access

The Sort Violations for Quick Access feature allows administrators to customize the display order of ticket offence items by strategically adding spaces to the beginning of offence names. Its primary purpose is to reorder long lists of violations, ensuring the most frequently used offences appear at the top for quicker selection on both the admin interface and handheld enforcement devices. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for configuring violation settings and optimizing field officer workflows.

Setup and Configuration

This feature leverages a built-in alphanumeric sorting behavior to enhance administrative and enforcement workflows.

Admin Side: Administrators must have the appropriate system role permissions enabled to access the violations configuration menus and edit ticket offence items.

Using this Feature

The system automatically sorts lists alphanumerically. Because a space character comes before all alphanumeric characters in the standard ASCII character table, prefixing a violation name with one or more spaces forces it to appear higher in the sorted list.

Example of Sorting with Spaces:

• Zebra Offence (two spaces, sorts first)

• Test Offence (one space, sorts second)

• Apple Offence (no space, sorts third)

• Bottle Offence (no space, sorts fourth)

Administrators can use the following instructions to reorder their violation lists.

Reordering Violations

1. Hover over System Configuration, click Violations, then Manage Ticket Offence Items.

2. Select the specific ticket category you wish to reorder from the drop-down menu to display its associated violations.

3. Click on the specific violation you wish to modify to refresh the screen with its entry information.

4. Add a single space to the very beginning of the Violation Type Description field.

5. Click the Save Violation Type button. The list will now display this modified item at the top.

6. Repeat the process for other violations in the category, using multiple spaces to define exact rankings. For example, add two spaces to make an item appear first, and one space to make an item appear second.

If two items have the exact same number of leading spaces, the system will revert to sorting them alphabetically based on the remaining characters in their descriptions.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Maintain sorting consistency: If you start using spaces to sort, apply the method consistently across all relevant lists. If you sort one category of offences, consider sorting others to provide a uniform experience across the system.

• Use minimal spaces: Use the fewest number of spaces necessary to achieve your desired order. For example, if you only need one item at the very top, a single space is sufficient. If you need two items, give one item two spaces, and the other item one space.

• Consider the handheld impact: Remember that this sorting method affects the display order on both the admin interface and handheld units. Strategically sorting your most common violations directly improves the efficiency of your enforcement officers in the field by reducing scrolling.

• Document your strategy: If multiple administrators manage ticket offence items, document your sorting strategy internally. This maintains consistency and prevents accidental reordering by other staff members editing descriptions.

• Avoid using wildcards: This sorting method relies on actual space characters, not wildcards or other special characters. Characters like an asterisk or dash might not function as expected in standard sort orders and should be strictly avoided.

Handhelds Devices Settings (Handheld Commons)

The Handheld Devices Settings feature allows administrators to manage and configure handheld devices used for field enforcement and data collection. Its primary purpose is to register new devices, push messages, and update device configurations to ensure seamless operation and accurate data synchronization for field personnel. This article is intended for OPSCOM administrators responsible for managing enforcement hardware.

Setup and Configuration

This feature requires both physical software installation on the handheld devices and backend configuration within the administration portal.

Admin Side: Administrators must have the Display as Ticket Writer permission enabled to use a handheld as a ticket writer. This setting is enabled by default with the standard patrol officer role. Additionally, before accessing a handheld device for the first time, new admin users are strictly required to log in through the online admin portal to complete their initial password reset.

1. Hover over System Configuration, click Admin Management, then Manage Roles.

2. Select the specific role for the patrol officer and click on the Violations tab.

3. Enable the Display as Ticket Writer checkbox to grant access. Detailed instructions can be found on the Manage Roles and Permissions page.

Using this Feature

Administrators can navigate the management interface to seamlessly add new devices, push direct messages to active units, and update device data.

1. Hover over Tools and click Handhelds Devices. Alternatively, hover over Violations and click Handhelds Devices.

2. The Handhelds - Common Settings screen will appear, where you can manage various aspects of your handheld fleet.

Adding a New Device

When adding a new handheld device, the process involves actions on both the physical device itself and within the OPSCOM system configuration.

1. Install the OPSCOM enforcement application directly on the handheld device.

2. Tap the login button on the device to attempt a first login. A notice indicating the device is not registered will appear and display a 16-digit alphanumeric UUID (Universally Unique Identifier).

3. Navigate to the Handhelds - Common Settings page in the admin portal and click the Add New Device button.

4. Enter the obtained identifier into the UUID field, ensuring you include all characters and any dashes.

5. Click the Server to Sync with drop-down menu and choose the Production Server.

6. Enter a clear, descriptive name into the Name field.

7. Enable the Enabled checkbox at the top of the entry form.

8. Click the Add Device button to complete the registration.

Pushing Messages

You can send messages directly to your configured handheld units in the field.

1. Click the Push Message button on the main settings screen.

2. Follow the on-screen prompts to compose and send your message to the selected devices.

Updating Device Data

To modify settings for an existing handheld device:

1. Click on the specific device name you wish to update to expand a drop-down list of editable settings.

2. Enter your desired changes to the device's configuration.

3. Click the Process Updates button to save and apply your changes to the device.

To successfully edit a ticket footer for your handheld devices, you must possess the system permission level and role of a Primary Admin.

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Best Practices and Considerations

• Always register on the production server first: Due to the underlying logic of the tool, you must always register a new handheld unit on the Production admin portal first, even if its ultimate purpose is for testing on a Preview site. The system initially connects to the production server, then references the assignment table to determine if a unit is registered for Production or Preview.

• Follow specific steps for preview testing: To add a handheld unit to a preview environment for testing, you must configure both servers and perform a device reinstallation. First, refresh your preview site. Then, add the unit to the production portal but choose your Preview Server from the Server to Sync with drop-down menu. Next, enter the exact same device information into the preview admin portal. Finally, perform a fresh reinstallation of the OPSCOM enforcement app on the handheld device itself to pick up the newly set path.

• Reinstall software when switching environments: Remember that you must perform a reinstallation of the software on the handheld unit each time you change the synchronization path in the system. This forces the physical handheld device to update and connect with the newly selected path.

• Ensure UUID accuracy: Ensure the UUID is entered precisely, including any required dashes. Any typographical error will actively prevent the device from connecting to the server.

• Use descriptive naming conventions: Use clear, identifiable names for your handheld devices to simplify management and troubleshooting. Standardizing names like "Patrol Unit 1" or "Enforcement Officer John's Device" makes identifying hardware in the system much easier.