MARS — The Mars Borough Police Department will be switching soon to an e-filing system, according to Chief Mark Lint.

The majority of neighboring communities have been using the e-filing system Traffic and Criminal Software, or TraCS, for multiple years, Lint said at the borough council meeting Monday, April 17.

“We are just a little behind, I think that we are one of two departments in our district court that doesn’t use an e-filing system right now,” Lint said.

This change to e-filing will include all traffic and non-traffic citations, from parking violations to disorderly conduct.

According to Lint, starting Jan. 1, 2024, the Butler County Emergency Management 911 Dispatch Center will no longer print paper citations for police officers to use and will switch to an e-filing system. Because of this, the Mars department must make a switch, he said.

Police vehicles will need to be outfitted with a printer and a proper stand to securely attach it to the vehicle, with an estimated cost of $1,800 per vehicle, he said.

According to Lint, the software that is used to fill out, print and submit citations is free because it is state-owned and mandated.

This change will streamline the process and also make it easier for citations to be documented across multiple departments.

After filling out the citation, the officer would print two copies; one for the violator and one to take to the office for filing. Additionally, a copy of the citation will automatically be sent to the district judge office, according to Lint.

Scams are prevalent, according to Lint, who, at the borough council meeting, advised the public to stay aware and offered safety presentations to groups.

“This stuff happens all the time,” Lint said. “We get these fraud cases constantly, and they go from people who are younger to people who are older.”

Lint has held two presentations so far, at Overbrook Pointe and Penn Mar Plaza, two senior living communities. According to Lint the 45-minute presentations were well-received.

“If it prevents one incident from happening, it’s well worth the time that I spent doing it,” Lint said. “I would be more than willing to do it for anybody who asked for it, and if they didn’t ask for it, I ask them.”

In addition to anti-fraud presentations, Lint and other members of the Mars police have assisted those looking to improve their building’s security.

According to Lint, during the past month, he and other officers went to the Advance Community Church on Crowe Avenue, to conduct a building safety inspection and make safety recommendations.

The department also offered this service to the Mars Area Public Library.

Additionally, a three-hour training session has been scheduled with the Advance Community Church to go over active shooter protocols, first aid, and overall crisis preparedness and safety.

Lint reminded residents that tractor-trailers cannot safely drive down Pittsburgh Avenue, due to the size of the road and the curves. Violators will pay $800 in fines.