Law & Order: Deluxe Systems Locks Down the Evidence
Evidence is of the utmost importance to law enforcement; keeping track of every piece helps ensure that fair trials can be held and the guilty can be punished. However, all the evidence from years of cases takes up a lot of space. Thanks to Deluxe Systems of Florida (Tampa, FL) and Sales Manager Jon Nash, the Hillsborough County, FL, Sheriff’s Department was able to conquer its mountain of physical evidence.
The department needed additional storage space for its increasing number of firearms which had been confiscated as evidence in criminal cases. Unfortunately, the department was also faced with a rapidly shrinking amount of available storage space. "That area of the building was jam-packed with pallet rack containing all kinds of evidence," recalls Nash.
The agency put out a request for bid to find the solution, and Nash offered a solution: mobile, compact shelving mounted on an existing 28 ft. by 27 ft. mezzanine. Sheriff's officials were impressed, and Nash got the green light.
For his design, Nash selected rivet shelving from Rapid Rack Industries, which was mounted on top of a mechanical drive system from Mobile Media. The design allowed shelving space for handguns to be condensed; rifles and other "long guns" were placed on Rapid Rack shelving atop stationary bases. The system provides capacity for over 2,000 long guns and nearly 8,500 handguns—approximately twice the department’s current need.
The $35,000 project also enhanced security for the storage area with the addition of a wire mesh cage around the base of the 15-foot-high mezzanine. "It really stops anybody from easily getting to the storage area," says Nash.
Nash said that though mobile shelving is typically used in document storage, it is not typically used in industrial settings, especially in Florida. Though the sheriff's department initially seemed skeptical that the system would meet their needs, they have found it has far exceeded them. "I had to initially convince them it was a solid system design, but we've gotten several e-mails saying they're thrilled with the result," Nash says.
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