The Palmerton Police Department showed its new mobile computer system to the borough council Thursday night during the meeting.

While holding the new mobile device, officer Shawn Leadbetter accessed the system and explained how it will benefit the officers and make their jobs safer and more effective.Leadbetter said officers will now be able to access a driver's records and vehicle registrations quickly through a program called JNet, for judicial network. They will also be able to send citations directly to the magistrate using the program TRACS.Councilman Kris Hoffner was impressed with the program that allows officers to bypass calling in to get background information."They call the control center and sometimes they are really busy," Hoffner said. "It takes times for them to run it, and the officer has to sit there and wait.""The less time we have to spend at a (traffic) stop, the safer we will be," Leadbetter said.In addition to processing traffic stops more quickly, officers will also be able to write reports while out in the field, take it with them to a crime scene, to a judge or back to the office. They can also take pictures with it. Because of its mobility, officers won't have to use multiple devices to store information that then has to be downloaded onto the office computer, which is another benefit, Leadbetter said."It really is a complete asset," he said.The purchase was made possible in part through a $1,000 award Mayor Christopher Olivia won for being named the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce's Mayor of the Year for 2016. Additional funds were donated by people and organizations. The devices are made by Panasonic and called a ToughPad.Councilman Richard Nothstein, who is one of the private donors, said, "I think it is a win-win."The police department was able to purchase three ToughPads, but it has five patrol cars. They hope to be able to have one for each of the vehicles, Leadbetter said.Nothstein encouraged anyone in the community who would like to make a private donation for additional ToughPads to do so.The Palmerton Police Department will also be adding another new full-time police officer to the ranks.Palmerton Borough Council approved hiring Adam Shimer with a pay rate of $22.82 per hour. Shimer's next step is to take psychological and physical exams and complete any state requirements for employment as an officer. He anticipates that will completed in about a month and then he can begin working."I'm very excited about it. I've heard lots of good things about the community," Shimer said. "I can't wait to get started."After his hiring was accepted, Shimer shook hands with all of the council members, the borough manager and mayor. As Shimer made the rounds, Councilman Terry Costenbader stopped him in his tracks and shared with the council that Shimer is currently active in the U.S. Coast Guard. He thanked him for his service to the country, and the other council members joined in with clapping and words of thanks.