Summary
For the police, instantaneous silent communication could be the difference between life and death. Greater use of such software should cause Sprint, which like other wireless carriers sells the capability, to want to unload its iDEN network, historically popular with first responders, that much sooner.
Analysis
In 1921, the police department in Detroit introduced the first one-way mobile telephone service. Push to talk started to be used by cops in the 1930s. Late in the last century, Nextel with its “Direct Connect” offering, digitized “push-to-talk” dispatch that was taken advantage by law enforcement. Afterwards, Nextel offered “smart cop” software on computers in cars, which allowed the police to have access to local and national databases to get information on suspects. Now, all kinds of activities can be performed on a Research in Motion BlackBerry and on other handsets with BIO-Key’s PocketCop software. (BIO-Key recently announced an agreement to sell off its law enforcement division to InterAct911 Mobile Systems.)
The prospects for growth are enormous as the use of RIM’s BlackBerrys with PocketCop is not just by police on the local and state level. The FBI uses a lot BlackBerriers. Agents from the Department of the Homeland Security, US Marshals, Border Patrol, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement can all take advantage of the software and they can also be used for security at universities, parks, and at beaches.
Some of the negative attributes of PocketCop have been pointed out in the past. There are fewer network devices to be maintained with a computer police car and it can be shared directly by two officers. It is not going to be accidentally dropped during a foot chase and it is less likely to get accidentally damaged.
However, the key advantage with a portable unit is that it can “get police out of patrol cars and walking the beat.” It is also convenient for officers on motorcycles, boats, bicycles, and horses. Moreover, the cost difference is dramatic in favor of PocketCop.
As the source article points out, “GPS records could also become a target for defense attorneys, who have increasingly used technological advances like surveillance cameras to scrutinize officers' accounts.” Yet, they could just as easily be used to help the prosecution and to exonerate officers accused of inappropriate conduct.
The president of the police union makes a good argument that just because officers weren't in [a particular} “area..., [it] does...[not] mean they [were failing in] doing their jobs.” Still, push to talk has always been used to help locate policemen. In addition, GPS can be used in “studying the effectiveness of deployment patterns” and “an officer in distress can also be quickly pinpointed.”
The most compelling edge over a regular police radio with PTT is that it can be dangerous for a member of law enforcement to talk in particular situations. Obviously, for agents undercover, maintaining silence can be critical – and these handsets are inconspicuous and lightweight. Apparently, the technology is also encrypted to avoid interruptions and hacking of text communications – and one avoids the possibility of static voice communications. In fact, on the BlackBerry, one button can be pressed and an instantaneous alarm goes out to nearby officers and to the dispatch.
Another important advantage of PocketCop is that the cop can gain direct access to information in databases, freeing the dispatcher (as well as IT personnel) to engage in other activities. The potential also exists to get on-the-spot, video statements. In addition, if all first responders were to standardize on a particular software, communication between police, fire, ambulance, etc. can be much better coordinated.
Samuel Greenholtz consults with leading institutions through GLG
Analyses are solely the work of the authors and have not been edited or endorsed by GLG.
