Challenge

The Champlin Police Department, responsible for maintaining public safety of the Minneapolis suburb of 25,000 residents, faced repeated headaches with their existing key management system. The department has a fleet of over 20 squad cars and needed to track access to keys and key fobs. Their setup consisted of a few small boxes mounted on a wall, which quickly proved inadequate. The compartments were too small to accommodate all their keys, particularly the larger key fobs, and lacked any sophisticated online management or tracking capabilities.

Without an effective system, the department regularly lost keys, which resulted in costly replacements—some key fobs costing up to $500 each. The lack of a real-time tracking system meant officers could not easily determine who last used a key, leading to confusion, wasted time, and the blame game. Additionally, the previous system began to fail structurally, prompting the department to seek a more durable and reliable solution.

Pain Points

• Costly Key Replacements: Frequent loss of squad car keys led to expensive replacements, increasing operational costs and security concerns.
• Inadequate System: Their existing solution was not big enough to house all keys properly and lacked essential online management features.
• Lack of Accountability: Without real-time tracking, it was difficult to determine who last used a key, leading to inefficiency and potential security risks.

Solution

After evaluating several alternatives, department leadership chose Keycafe due to its advanced cloud-based management system, ease of use, and attractive design. Lieutenant Matt Smith said: “We looked at several similar solutions. Keycafe stood out because of its robust online/cloud management options, the design and size of the key boxes, and the many features that came with it from a software perspective. The Keycafe system was quite a bit more attractive than most other similar options as well. We knew we would be mounting the solution in our roll call room and wanted it to look sharp and professional, not like some huge industrial metal box hanging on the wall.”

With Keycafe, the department manages their entire fleet of keys for both vehicles and offices with a centralized, cloud-based system accessible from any internet-connected device. They’re able to track key usage in real time, assign specific keys to specific officers, and set up notifications for when keys were not returned on time. The durability of Keycafe’s hardware also ensured that the system would be a long-term investment for the department.

Champlin Police Department’s Implementation

• Simple Workflow: Officers log in with a key fob or PIN, select the desired key from a touchscreen interface, and the system automatically logs the transaction.
• Granular Access Control: Supervisory staff have separate access to specific keys, such as those for locked offices, allowing for greater flexibility and security.
• Remote Management Capabilities: Administrators can manage keys and access remotely, providing quick resolutions in case of forgotten PINs or other access issues.

Result

Since installing Keycafe, the Champlin Police Department has not lost a single key, eliminating the high costs associated with replacements. The ability to remotely track keys in real time has improved accountability among officers, and saved countless hours for Lieutenant Smith who previously had to chase down lost keys with no clues.

The department also realized unexpected benefits, such as the ability to assign keys to multiple users without needing to duplicate physical keys, further reducing costs and enhancing operational efficiency. Additionally, the Keycafe system’s user-friendly interface and robust backend software have saved time for fleet managers by simplifying administrative key management tasks.

“There’s no doubt that we made the right decision when we chose Keycafe to manage our keys”, says Smith.

The Outcome

• Zero Lost Keys: The department has not lost any keys since implementing Keycafe, saving thousands of dollars in replacement costs and saved time.
• Improved Accountability: Real-time tracking and notifications ensure that officers return keys promptly, maintaining a high level of accountability.
• Operational Efficiency: Remote management capabilities and ease of use have saved significant administrative time, allowing staff to focus on keeping the community safe.