Pandemic Prompts More Sheriff’s Offices to Deploy Automated Kiosks

Minneapolis, Minn. — (March 30, 2021) Minneapolis-based Precision Kiosk Technologies today announced that the Covid-19 pandemic has prompted four additional law enforcement agencies to deploy its AB Kiosk^® system to conduct court-mandated alcohol monitoring: The 24/7 Sobriety programs managed by the Sheriff’s Offices of Brown and Brookings Counties in South Dakota; the Police Department of Ferndale, Michigan; and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Saipan. Since October 1, 2020, four 24/7 Sobriety Programs in South Dakota have autonomously conducted more than 50,000 alcohol screening tests using seven AB Kiosks.

Courts often require clients to refrain from using alcohol as a condition of their pre-trial release, probation, or diversion program. To monitor compliance with these orders, clients must submit to daily alcohol screening, a process that is typically administered using handheld breathalyzers. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many jurisdictions have had to halt their alcohol screening programs to protect their clients and staff from the Covid-19 virus. This puts their communities at risk and limits the ability of the courts to monitor offenders.

The AB Kiosk system eliminates the need for face-to-face interactions between clients and staff by automating the entire alcohol monitoring process. The interactive Kiosk verifies the identity of the individual, captures still images and video as it administers each breathalyzer test, and automatically uploads all client data to cloud-based storage. The Kiosk can test up to 30 individuals per hour, and law enforcement staff can access testing data from any computer or smartphone. In addition, the AB Kiosk system frees up staff for higher-value work, reduces administrative costs, and immediately identifies those who violate the conditions of their release. More than 30 jurisdictions across the U.S. now use the AB Kiosk system for alcohol monitoring, pre-trial services, and probation check-ins.