Kirkland police finds benefits with Zonar's EVIR builds better fleet safety with digital inspections

Officers arrive at an active shooter scene and rush to retrieve their ballistic shield—only to find an empty mounting bracket. In the heat of a high-risk night operation, emergency lights fail, leaving a patrol vehicle in darkness and putting police and public safety at risk. Across town, another officer's pursuit ends abruptly, faltering brakes turning a containment maneuver into a near-disaster.

The root of failures like these isn't mechanical; it's systematic. While modern policing demands split-second readiness, when it comes to crucial pre- and post-trip vehicle inspections and regular asset tracking, most departments still rely on dated methods such as hurried signatures in paper logbooks or an unchecked honor system. Those traditional paper-based systems leave law enforcement fleets open to critical oversights, not to mention incomplete records, inconsistent maintenance, and unclear accountability for vehicle damages, especially when multiple officers share vehicles across different shifts.

As budget constraints push vehicles thousands of miles beyond pre-pandemic replacement schedules, these gaps allow small maintenance problems to quietly accumulate—until they surface at the worst possible moment.

A new approach

As an agency accredited through the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), the Kirkland Police Department in Washington state recognized that modernizing its inspection process could help set a new standard for law enforcement fleet management.

After a successful pilot program, the department recently became the first law enforcement agency in the country to implement two complementary Zonar solutions: the Electronic Verified Inspection Reporting (EVIR) system for vehicle inspections and ZTrak for real-time asset tracking.

EVIR replaces error-prone paper logs with digital, verified inspections fully customizable for law enforcement needs, transforming how the department manages fleet safety and equipment readiness. The technology uses near-field communication (NFC) tags, strategically placed in inspection zones and scanned by officers using department-issued smartphones, to verify checks of tires, lights, trunk vaults, vehicle exteriors, suspect transport enclosures, and other key areas.

The pilot reaped immediate benefits, with officers now completing 360-degree walkaround inspections in just two minutes. The system generates automated alerts to ensure designated agency officials are notified if there’s a defect, new damage, or missing equipment. Officers can also quickly identify and address missing onboard equipment, ensuring mission-critical gear is always available when needed. Meanwhile, instant agency access to inspection data provides valuable insights toward smarter asset deployment, longer vehicle lifespans and reduced operational costs.

Shield of accountability

The EVIR platform has also revolutionized accountability at Kirkland PD. As an accredited agency, the department uses the system not only to enhance its high operating standards but also to provide comprehensive documentation for WASPC audits.

Each electronic inspection automatically documents date, time and GPS location, creating an unalterable record of frequent safety checks. With Kirkland PD’s robust daily practice now far exceeding accreditation standards, the department can rest assured that their practice matches policy while elevating their proof of accreditation compliance.  

The digital inspection system also provides crucial liability protection: If equipment goes missing, the department can instantly access its inspection history to determine when and by whom items were last confirmed present. The system's electronic paper trail allows the department to identify where breakdowns in accountability occurred, providing essential protection for both individual officers and the city as a whole.

Alongside EVIR, Kirkland PD’s implementation of ZTrak provides the department with real-time, GPS-enabled asset tracking. Kirkland PD uses ZTrak to monitor a valuable, often-mobilized agency trailer, offering visibility into real-time location status and past deployment history. This ensures assets are always accounted for, even when deployed for long stretches, and ready for immediate use.

Beyond law enforcement

While Kirkland PD's implementation focuses on law enforcement needs, the principles and benefits of electronic verified inspections and asset tracking translate directly to commercial sectors.

The challenges of maintaining vehicle readiness, tracking equipment, and preserving inspection compliance are universal across fleet types. The system's capabilities align perfectly with the rigorous inspection demands faced by commercial fleet operators and mandated under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations.

Commercial fleets in the private sector can tailor inspection requirements to their specific needs while maintaining Department of Transportation and Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance. The same technology that verifies a police vehicle's emergency equipment can systematically document brake systems, steering mechanisms, lighting devices, wheels, and other critical points required by FMCSA. EVIR helps guarantee attention to detail and consistent compliance, addressing issues that led to roughly 5.1 million inspection violations last year.

For fleet managers in any sector, the transition from paper logbooks to digital verification isn't just about streamlining processes—it's about creating a robust system that makes sure equipment, and vehicles are ready when they're needed most. As Kirkland PD's experience shows, the value of verified inspections extends across industries, offering a comprehensive approach to safety, maintenance and compliance that any fleet can benefit from today.