NCJ Number
204497
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2004 Pages: 52,54,56,57
Editor(s)
Ronnie Garrett
Date Published
February 2004
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article presents an overview of the Fremont Police Department’s transition from a national discontinued analog CDPD network to a new third-generation public network, Padcom’s TotalRoam Mobile Connectivity Suite (MCS), offering a transition that is manageable and preserves and improves field officer productivity.
Abstract
CDPD networks provide relatively low-cost, multi-user, multi-application access suited for most law enforcement agencies. In 2004, the analog CDPD networks used by thousands of public safety agencies across the Nation will be discontinued leaving these agencies scrambling for an effective transition to a new generation network. Adding to this potential crisis is the adding of law enforcement responsibilities and the decreasing budgets. This article discusses how one law enforcement agency, the Fremont Police Department in California presented with this transition challenge overcame the obstacles. In 2002, prior to the discontinuation of the CDPD network, Fremont implemented Padcom’s TotalRoam Mobile Connectivity Suite (MCS). This solution is a software platform that manages all aspects of wireless data communication, from security to the integration of multiple infrastructures, to control over individual applications. By making a significant investment in this wireless data platform, Fremont was ahead of the curve in making the transition from CDPD to a next-generation network. Through early investment and preparation, the transition was made manageable. In this transition, there are CDPD features that are commonly forfeited which include: (1) lost legacy-infrastructure investments; (2) lack of IP compatibility; (3) absence of interoperability; (4) loss of security provided by CDPD networks; (5) lapse in operational consistency creates a potentially costly impact; (6) superior speed of third-generation networks on average are 10 times faster; (7) wider coverage provided by these networks ensures data availability; and (8) new mobile data options can revolutionize the way agencies operate.