Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: Rob Gutierrez Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Mobile Data Terminals Message-ID: <8449@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 31 May 90 01:25:49 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: Rob Gutierrez Organization: NASA Science Internet - Network Operations Center Lines: 61 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 399, Message 1 of 9 mdivax1!theriaul@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca writes: > I have noticed some discussion here recently about mobile data > technology (terminals in police cars - is it for real?) and can assure > telecom readers that indeed this technology is here - the company I > work for, Mobile Data International (MDI), designs and manufactures > complete mobile data communications systems. > This is not that new, just check out the October, 1982 issue of > National Geographic for a photo of the Vancouver Police Department's > MDT..... I have seen, and have been aware of MDT's being used by police departments since 1973! Not too many people seem to remember the first big installation of MDT's was at the Oakland (California) Police Dept in 1973. It used GTE "Datacom's", which were huge terminals, and used a real CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) to display four lines of twenty-five characters. A roomate of mine was able to procure the "Users Manual" to operate and also look up codes for the messages displayed on the CRT. These were used also with a CAD (Computer Aided Dispatching) system, which GTE was pushing as an "all-in-one solution to the rising crime rate", and Oakland was very much appropriate for that quote. The system was funded by a government grant to see how MDT's would work in the real world. The terminals were not initially well received because the police officers thought this was an excuse for the City of Oakland to reduce staffing in the cars from two-man to one-man, and then have that one man actually look away from the "suspect" while doing the queries on the MDT. (First Commanment in Police Academy: Thou Shalt NEVER Looketh Away From Thy Suspect, EVER!). The grant money eventually ran out about three or four years later, and the MDT's were eventually scrapped (they did keep the remaining ones working as long as possible, cannabalizing the others to do so). The police officers did accept the terminals when they discovered it was actually faster than waiting in line for subject and auto queries on the radio. (Yes, you were given a number on the query channel (Ch. 3) during busy times, like Friday/Saturday nights! Sometimes waiting behind up to six to eight other officers!). They were sorely missed when the query radio channel crowded up again. Robert Gutierrez Office of Space Science and Applications, NASA Science Internet Project - Network Operations Center. Moffett Feild, California. [Moderator's Note: The Chicago PD was using these terminals on a limited basis in the middle '70's, and they have not really increased their usage now, fifteen years later. Still, only a few cars are equipped. Calling on the radio for information frequently results in a long delay here, and worse yet are the times when the dispatcher responds saying the system is down, and to try again in twenty minutes. PT]