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        Air to air police radio communication is critical for safe aircraft operations. And, because of standards in training, equipment and frequency allocation, air to air police radio communication is generally reliable. Air-to-ground police radio communication, on the other hand, is not quite as reliable and can lead to serious problems during normal aircraft operations.
        There are over 17,000 state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. For very practical reasons, each police department has its own radio frequency or frequencies. Moreover, each state and local agency is influenced by a political parent organization, such as a municipal police force, and is ultimately managed by a city. When making budgetary choices, organizations spend money for public safety-related technologies at vastly different rates.

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      Cops are constantly adapting their equipment to the environment.  Our kit bags have grown larger and larger as we collected equipment to deal with the job.  Our police departments gives us the basics and as we face new situations we think about what we could have used as a tool to have made the task easier.  Then, we go out and get that tool for next time.  Much of the commercially produced police equipment, including some police radio equipment, used by our peers today was developed on the fly by those who walked the beat before us. 
      The concept of the police car as a mobile office was developed by those of us who worked long shifts and thought What could be added to this car to make my job easier?  Make me more comfortable? Help me to hunt down dangerous offenders?
 

Police Radio - Tailored Technology 

      State and local governments can spend more than $50,000 outfitting one police car with modern police radio technologies, and adding the necessary information technologies can double the cost of outfitting the car, according to market observers and police departments. Car service life varies, but typically lasts 24/7 for three to five years -- or about 85,000 miles.

 

      With the technology refinements that transform police cars into mobile offices, equipment installation is similar to creating a small network in a home or office. Each police agency starts with basic computing requirements and adds peripheral devices, choosing different technology combinations, such as multiple police radios, in-car video, mobile data computers or even docking stations.

 

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Police Radio - The Mobile Office: Field Tactics and Investigations
     The introduction of mobile technology, like police radio,  into law enforcement has increased dramatically. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2000, 75% of local police officers and 61% of sheriffs' officers worked for an agency that used in-field computers or terminals, compared to 30% and 28% in 1990.  Just at the rate of application has increased, so has the sophistication of the equipment.  Indeed, in the previous article we saw that police in-field computers have steadily graduated from dumb terminals to fully-functioning computers.

 

            Sophisticated equipment, like police radio technology,  has given the street officer access to more and better information and provided him or her with a variety of means to capture information.  Unfortunately, we may be somewhat lagging in our ability to apply that information in our field investigations and tactics.  In this article we will explore some of the possible uses of technology in field investigations.

 

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      The mobile office is on its way out.  In the near future, the only way to describe a police car will be as a platform.  A platform is a combination of technologies with real-world applications.  Thinking of your police car as a platform gives us a foundation from which to explore your car's future.  It won't just be your office, it will be another set of senses, operating independent of you, and providing you with real-time information on the world around you.  More importantly, the Police Vehicle Platform (PVP) will significantly enhance your safety and ability to conduct law enforcement operations.
 

Typical police radio and data system.
police radios are becoming more complex. Early police radio systems were large, tube and one-way. As police radio mirrored technological development, police officers had access to two-way police radio. Police officers rely on police radio to make communications, check suspects and broadcast information over the police radio. Different police departments have different police radio systems. Police radio is becoming more complex with the addition of data transmission to police radio. Police officers

Command post installed in police vehicle trunk.
Police radio history begins with police officers actually receiving police radio broadcastings from commerical radio stations. The police officers would listen to the local radio broadcast which would be interrupted by police radio broadcast information. This may be because the FCC was initially reluctant to allocate radio frequencies to for police radio use. Today, every police department has its own police radio system. Because radio frequencies are a limited and scarce resoure, police radio

Before police radio, call boxes and telegraphs
early police communication was done without the benefit of a radio. Police officers sometimes used callboxes, or telegraph systems. It wasn't until after world war II that police radio use began to flourish in the US. Police departments may have multiple police radio frequencies. Some are used to transmitt police radio information to unique geographic police officers, other police radio frequencies are used to transmit to special police units and still other police radio frequencies are used for police

Antennas over Calif OES.
police radio communication is a system of radio componets. Like everyother radio system, there must be a base radio station including transmission capabilty and a receiving radio station, like the police radio in the police car. There are many different types of police radio systems used by various police officers and police agencies. Because of the large number of police radio systems, the most common is still probably a duplex or simplex transmission scheme. Larger police departments tend to use radio
Photograph courtesy of Robert Epplett, CA OES

Used to promote police radio interoperability.
Becasue of the large number of police departments and different police radio frequencies, there are devices used to connect the different police radios so that police officers can talk during emergency situations. Police radio hardware designed to allow this talking is said to increase interoperability. Some larger police departments use designated police radio frequencies with smaller police departments around them. Still larger ones use complex police radio devices to increase interoperability.
Photograph courtesy of Robert Eplett, California OES

Older and simplier emergency command post.
During emergencies some police departments deploy command posts with police radio systems installed so that local control of a situation can be achieved. These police radio systems tend to be underpowered and often use a police radio repeater system. In addition to police radios, these command posts have police data, information, equipment and plans. Typically, the larger the police department, the larger the police radio command post that is deployed to the scene of an emergency.
Photograph Courtesy of Robert Epplett, CA OES

Newer Police Radio System in an SUV.
Police department s use all types of vehicles as police vehicles. Subsequently, there are different types of police radio installations in these police vehicles. Depending on the duties assigned the police vehicle, the police radio system will vary. Some have all of the police radio equipment typicall scene in a standard police vehicle, while others, like undercover police cars will have on a minimal police radio system. The type of police radio system installed in the police vehicle depends on the type

A large, modern command post with police radios
During emergencies some police departments deploy command posts with police radio systems installed so that local control of a situation can be achieved. These police radio systems tend to be underpowered and often use a police radio repeater system. In addition to police radios, these command posts have police data, information, equipment and plans. Typically, the larger the police department, the larger the police radio command post that is deployed to the scene of an emergency.

Police portable video and data system
As radio and computer equipment get smaller, other functions are being incorporated into police systems. Police cars do not simply have radios anylonger, they have data systems and the capacity to record events and transmit them via police radio frequencies in real time. Larger police departments tend to invest in this type of police radio equipment and train their police officers in its use. In addition to police radio, there is experimentation in the real-time broadcast of police video.
Photograph courtesy of Merlin Systems, Inc.

Another typical police radio installation.
police radios are becoming more complex. Early police radio systems were large, tube and one-way. As police radio mirrored technological development, police officers had access to two-way police radio. Police officers rely on police radio to make communications, check suspects and broadcast information over the police radio. Different police departments have different police radio systems. Police radio is becoming more complex with the addition of data transmission to police radio. Police officers

A typical medium size police radio dispatch center
police radio calls are dispatched from a central location usually at or new the police department headquarters. 911 calls go to the police radio dispatch center. They are screen, put in priority and then broadcast to police officers over the police radio system. Police radio dispatchers tend to be civilian personnel with highly specialized skills. However, they usually do not have technical skills, like police radio technicians. Dispatch gather all information from a caller and may check certain police

A police surviellance system.
As radio and computer equipment get smaller, other functions are being incorporated into police systems. Police cars do not simply have radios anylonger, they have data systems and the capacity to record events and transmit them via police radio frequencies in real time. Larger police departments tend to invest in this type of police radio equipment and train their police officers in its use. In addition to police radio, there is experimentation in the real-time broadcast of police video.
Photograph courtesy of SpektraTek

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