LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Motorola (NYSE:MOT) today jointly announced that the department has formally accepted its new Motorola Private DataTAC(tm) mobile communications system.
According to the department, the $21.7 million mobile data system will significantly enhance its wireless communications capabilities, including the ability to respond to emergencies that might occur simultaneously in separate parts of the City's 465-square-mile area, such as possible earthquakes, without compromising communications for other routine calls.
"The new system is a powerful tool that enables our officers to do their jobs more effectively, employing sophisticated technology that will put vital information right at their fingertips," said Bernard C. Parks, LAPD Chief of Police. "The system also has the flexibility to accommodate rapidly developing communications and computer technology as well as the changing needs of the department."
Those needs increased dramatically just weeks ago when the Democratic National Convention was held in Los Angeles. The mobile data system played a key role in the department's security plan for the thousands of delegates and others attending the August convention. The system also was a major element of department emergency response plans that were created specifically for possible convention incidents.
As a major component of the LAPD's computer-aided dispatch capability, the mobile data system is used to dispatch officers in the field. Officers also use the system to relay information back to the dispatch center. During the convention, the mobile data communications system enabled the department to relay sensitive information.
The LAPD's new mobile data communications system is one of the first in the United States to use Motorola's latest generation of Mobile Workstation 520 (MW 520). To date, nearly 1,250 MW 520 units have been installed in LAPD "black-and-white" vehicles.
The mobile workstations allow officers to access and relay information at today's fastest possible data transmission speeds. The MW 520 units put access to major crime databases right in department vehicles. Such databases include the U.S. Department of Justice's Wanted Persons System, Stolen Vehicle System and Automated Firearms System, the National Crime Information Center and the records of the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
"With this onboard computerized communications system, officers in the field can retrieve vital information quickly as they respond to calls, or even run checks on vehicles and individuals right at the emergency or crime scene," said Roger Ham, LAPD's Chief Information Officer. "The system also will enable us in the future to perform a basic but critical function that we call 'field data capture,' which helps us gather data directly from the field so that the department always has the most current information available to assist officers on calls and other work in progress."
The MW 520 units combine the flexibility of a wireless data terminal and the power of a desktop computer in a design that enables it to perform reliably in the rugged law enforcement environment. The units feature a Pentium(r) processor, Windows(r) 95 operating system, 10.4-inch color LCD display, 19.2kbps wireless modem and removable keyboard. The system software includes pre-formatted screens tailored specifically to LAPD requirements.
The new system's 10 channels double the number of channels previously available for data communications. The system's data transfer rate of 19.2 kilobits per second is eight times faster than the previous data communications system, and increases overall data system capacity more than 500 percent.
The new Motorola Private DataTAC system is part of the LAPD's upgrade of its Emergency Command and Control Communications System (ECCCS). It replaces a mobile data system the department originally purchased in 1983.
"The LAPD's new mobile data communications system is among the most powerful systems used by any police department," said Mark Moon, vice president of sales, Motorola Western Division. "It will be a model for other public-safety departments around the world. Motorola is proud to have played a role in implementing a system for the LAPD that represents such a significant law enforcement milestone."
As part of the ECCCS upgrade, the department also is installing a new, standalone Motorola ASTRO 25(r) digital voice radio system. The new digital voice system is currently being optimized in the field and is expected to be fully implemented in 2001.
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 1999 were $33.1 billion. For more information, please visit the Motorola Web site at http://www.motorola.com.
ASTRO25 (r) is a registered trademark of Motorola, Inc.
Private DataTAC(tm) and SABER(tm) are trademarks of Motorola, Inc.
Pentium(r) is a registered trademark of Intel Corp.
Windows(r) is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.
CONTACT: Los Angeles Police Department
Roger W. Ham, Chief Information Officer
(213) 847-3836
hamr@lapd.lacity.org
Motorola
Steve Gorecki
(847) 538-0368
steve.gorecki@motorola.com