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NYPD Spends $1 Million On Typewriters

Posted by samzenpus on from the $100-a-minute dept.

EdIII writes "Despite having most, if not all, of it's arrest forms computerized, the NYPD has spent nearly $1M dollars on new typewriters for its police officers to fill out property and evidence vouchers with carbon copies. Regardless of complaints from police officers about inefficiency, lack of common sense, and slow processing, typewriters are not going to be phased out anytime soon according to officials. As one cop put it, 'We have to sneak around the rest of the precinct in search of a ribbon to steal.' According to one study by Dr. Edith Linn, outdated equipment is part of the reason for officers being averse to making arrests for less-serious crimes. However, it's not all bad news, for the typewriter companies at least."

11 comments

  1. Governments by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

    You can always trust a government bureaucrat to spend the people's money in amazingly innovative ways.

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    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
  2. typewriter companies? by mcfatboy93 · · Score: 1

    what typewriter companies?...

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    Its not my fault, someone put a wall in my way.
  3. Carbon copies are too big to fail by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Impact printing will never die.

  4. Might have a point by downix · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This form of redundancy (carbon copy + ribbon copy) eliminates the possibility of post-editing by electronic form. The word document version of word processing. This makes a lot of sense for an organization that is dragged into court thousands of times a year. No virus infection to alter reports, or force reinstall of OS, no hdd crashes, no backup fails, just a simple straightforward typewriter.

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    Karma Whoring for Fun and Profit.
    1. Re:Might have a point by andymadigan · · Score: 1

      Nope, instead they have fires, clerical errors, people spilling coffee on documents, etc.

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      The right to protest the State is more sacred than the State.
    2. Re:Might have a point by downix · · Score: 1

      You'd have all of those issues with computers, don't forget.

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      Karma Whoring for Fun and Profit.
  5. it makes sense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What will the department do during a power failure? Operate normally because they still have the older tech. And this is New york City, which did suffer a power outage not too long ago.

    1. Re:it makes sense by v1 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      What will the department do during a power failure?

      absolutely nothing

      Did you think these were manual typewriters? No, they're electric typewriters of course.

      I don't think you can buy a new manual typewriter anymore, nobody makes them?

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      I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
    2. Re:it makes sense by Maximum+Prophet · · Score: 1

      Hammacher and Schlemmer still sells a manual typewriter, so I assume someone makes it for them. http://www.hammacher.com/Product/76336?query=typewriter
      It's an Olivetti. However, on this page it says: "Due to the popularity of this item, we are unexpectedly sold out."

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      All ideas^H^H^H^H^Hprocesses in this post are Patent Pending. (as well as the process of patenting all postings)
  6. They should have just called me. by Usually+Unlucky+ · · Score: 1

    I recently inherited a barn full of typewriters from a late uncle who thought he would clean up on them after Y2k.

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    1. Re:They should have just called me. by Maximum+Prophet · · Score: 1

      Sell them on eBay. Hammacher and Schlemmer still sells manual typewriters, so I imagine someone will buy them. Have they been properly stored?

      --
      All ideas^H^H^H^H^Hprocesses in this post are Patent Pending. (as well as the process of patenting all postings)