Web-Routed Radios Link Cops
The International Association of Police Chiefs recently gave an award to the Miami-Dade Police Department’s communications bureau for its Internet-routed communication system that allows local and federal law enforcement officials to communicate.
The system was designed with help from Cisco and Unisys just ahead of a presidential debate in Miami and allowed officers from various departments and Transportation Security Administration officials to immediately communicate about potential problems or emergencies.
Previously, the state worked to improve communications for better hurricane preparedness but solutions proved expensive and not suitable for the job. The Internet-routed communications systems costs about $300,000, which is significantly less than the millions other communications solutions cost. The remaining challenges facing Internet-routed communications for law enforcement offices is interagency cooperation and funding, says Tom Frederick of Unisys.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Miami Herald (06/07/05) P. B6; Newsmith, Susannah A.