News

Wi-Fi Network Installed for CA Law Enforcement

September 17, 2003 by Jeff Shepard

Tropos Networks™ Inc. (San Mateo, CA) announced that the San Mateo Police Department (SMPD) has successfully implemented, trialed and is now using the first metro-scale, Wi-Fi mesh network for law enforcement. The SMPD has created a cellular Wi-Fi hot zone in downtown San Mateo using Tropos equipment and, for the first time, is making available critical applications to police officers in the field.

Using laptops in their police cars, SMPD officers now have wireless broadband access to LAWNET, a county-wide Intranet for law enforcement that connects officers to the Amber Alert System, the Sex Offender Database and other databases. From anywhere in the hot zone, officers can now download DMV records, including high-resolution photos, conduct in-field photo lineups, and perform other tasks that previously required them to return to headquarters. In the future, officers will have access to live video feeds of security cameras and access to the city's Geographic Information System.