Village Gamer

Vancouver-based Sierra Wireless and Oregon company Feeney Wireless, an authorized Sierra Wireless value-added reseller, have announced that the San Jose Police Department has selected the Feeney Wireless Cellular Internet Routing Appliance (CIRA) with integrated Sierra Wireless AirLink™ 3G gateway to provide comprehensive mobile connectivity for its officers in the field. The total deployment will see 452 patrol cars equipped over a 36-month period.

Responsible for the safety of more than one million residents in California’s third largest city, the San Jose Police Department creates more than 100,000 reports per year. The deployment of the joint Feeney Wireless and Sierra Wireless solution is part of an ongoing project to decentralize and digitize the Department’s records and field communications systems.

“We needed a scalable platform that would take us into the future, including camera systems, video and remote sensors and communications equipment,” said Deputy Chief Diane Urban. “We are going to send reports seamlessly, wirelessly – via a truly integrated paperless reporting and management system.”

Ms. Urban went on to say, “Technology is the way of the future, it’s all about regionalizing services, being more efficient and more transparent. Everyone expects quicker results, and we have the responsibility to provide that to the public.”

The Feeney Wireless CIRA solution deployed by the San Jose Police Department comprises a WiFi router that allows officers to connect laptop computers as well as e-citation and electronic fingerprinting devices over a local wireless network centered in their vehicle. The CIRA’s integrated Sierra Wireless AirLink 3G gateway then provides a real-time, two-way mobile broadband connection back to the Department’s main campus, as well as GPS information for dispatch. Thanks to the embedded Sierra Wireless ALEOS™ intelligence in the AirLink gateway and the accompanying AirLink management tools, the Department is also able to configure, update, and manage the devices remotely over the air, reducing downtime for maintenance.

Officers can now submit citations and other field reports in real time, reducing gas expenses and trips to and from campus to submit paper forms or download stored electronic information. Officers also have immediate access to all critical law enforcement data, from department policies to recorded fingerprints and mug shots. All of these capabilities provide the efficiencies and cost reductions sought by the San Jose Police Department’s team in its mission to eliminate centralized, paper-based record keeping, while providing an environment in which officers can more effectively perform the job of keeping San Jose communities safe.

“We are taking a patrol vehicle – the most costly asset a police department has – and turning it into their wireless mobile communications center,” said Bob Ralston, President of Feeney Wireless. “By providing a 3G enabled Wi-Fi gateway to connect almost any device, and instantly communicate with central servers, we have created a truly scalable process that simplifies the addition of new technologies into their operations.”

“This deployment is a great example of how 3G mobile broadband solutions can enhance the efficiency of our public safety agencies and ultimately, improve security in our communities,” said Justin Schmid, Sierra Wireless Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for AirLink products. “By reducing the requirement for officers to return to the main campus to file reports, comprehensive systems like the CIRA solution with its integrated AirLink gateway can help to increase the ability of officers to maintain a consistent, reliable presence in the community, where they are most needed.”