MDT Guide for Patrol Officers

Your Mobile Data Terminal is the most important tool you have as a patrol officer in a roleplay server. It connects you to dispatch, criminal databases, vehicle registrations, warrant systems, and your fellow officers. Mastering your MDT means faster response times, better situational awareness, and more immersive roleplay. This guide walks you through every aspect of using the CDE CAD MDT as a patrol officer, from the moment you clock on duty to filing your end-of-shift reports.

Logging On and Going On Duty

Your shift begins at the MDT login screen. Access CDE CAD through your browser or the in-game tablet resource and authenticate with your Discord credentials. Once logged in, you will see your officer dashboard showing your assigned department, rank, and badge number. Before going on duty, take a moment to review any department notices, shift briefings, or outstanding BOLOs that were posted since your last shift.

Going on duty is as simple as clicking the duty toggle. When you go on duty, your status is broadcast to dispatch and all other on-duty units. You appear on the active units list, and dispatch can begin assigning calls to you. Choose your unit designation carefully as this is how dispatch and other officers will identify you throughout your shift. Your duty time begins tracking automatically, contributing to your activity metrics and department records.

Once on duty, set your initial status to reflect your current availability. The most common starting status is 10-8 (In Service), indicating you are available for calls. If you need time to prepare before taking calls, set yourself to a busy status until you are ready to respond. Proper status management is critical because dispatch relies on these status codes to know which units are available for assignment.

Running Checks and Lookups

Person Lookup

Search by name to pull up identification, criminal history, active warrants, license status, registered vehicles, and any associated flags or notes.

Plate Check

Run license plates to see vehicle registration status, registered owner, insurance information, and any flags like stolen vehicle alerts or BOLOs.

License Verification

Verify driver's license validity, check for suspensions or revocations, and view license class and any restrictions or endorsements.

Record History

Access complete interaction history including previous citations, arrests, warnings, and incident involvement for informed decision-making.

Status Updates and Call Management

Keeping your status current is one of the most important responsibilities you have as a patrol officer. Your status tells dispatch whether you are available, en route to a call, on scene, or busy with an activity. Failing to update your status creates confusion for dispatch and can result in delayed response to critical calls because dispatch thinks you are occupied when you are actually available.

When dispatch assigns you a call, your MDT displays the call details including the location, nature of the call, priority level, caller information, and any additional notes. Accept the call and update your status to en route. When you arrive on scene, update to on scene. These status changes are visible to dispatch and supervisors in real time, providing operational awareness across the entire department.

You can also self-initiate calls for activities like traffic stops, pedestrian checks, or area patrols. Creating a self-initiated call through your MDT ensures the activity is logged in the system and visible to dispatch. This is especially important for officer safety, as dispatch knows your location and activity if you need assistance.

"Your MDT status is your lifeline. Keep it updated and dispatch always knows where you are and what you are doing. That information could save your life in a critical situation."

BOLO System and Alerts

The Be On the Lookout system is your early warning network. Active BOLOs appear on your MDT dashboard, alerting you to wanted individuals, stolen vehicles, missing persons, and other situations requiring patrol awareness. When you log on duty, review all active BOLOs to familiarize yourself with current lookout requests. Some BOLOs include photographs or vehicle descriptions that help with identification during patrol.

You can also create BOLOs from your MDT when you encounter situations that other officers need to know about. If a vehicle flees from a traffic stop, you can immediately create a BOLO with the vehicle description and last known direction of travel. The BOLO appears instantly on every on-duty officer's MDT, creating a coordinated response without requiring radio traffic that might be missed.

Filing Reports Through Your MDT

Report writing is a core patrol function, and the MDT streamlines the entire process. CDE CAD provides templates for common report types including incident reports, arrest reports, traffic citations, crash reports, and field interview cards. Each template guides you through the required fields, ensuring consistency and completeness across all department reports.

When writing a report, the MDT auto-populates information from the call you are documenting. The date, time, location, and involved parties are pulled from the call record, saving you time and reducing errors. You add the narrative, evidence details, and any charges or citations. Completed reports are submitted to your supervisor for review and become part of the permanent record system.

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Give your officers the professional MDT tools they need for realistic and efficient patrol operations.