NCJ Number
65496
Date Published
1977
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE HISTORY OF THE BRITISH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS IS OUTLINED, AND PRESENT SOLUTIONS TO COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY AND POLICE DISPATCHER PROBLEMS ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS SYMPOSIUM PAPER.
Abstract
POLICE RADIO SYSTEMS WERE INTRODUCED IN 1923, AND BY 1934 TWO-WAY V.H.F. SYSTEMS WERE USED BETWEEN VEHICLES AND CENTRAL CONTROL ROOMS. SINCE WORLD WAR II, VEHICLE PATROLS HAVE JOINED FOOT PATROLS IN IMPORTANCE, AND TWO TIERS OF COMMUNICATION HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED. A POCKET-SIZED PERSONAL U.H.F. RADIO LINKS PATROLMEN WITH THE LOCAL POLICE STATION, AND A VEHICLE-MOUNTED V.H.F. SYSTEM LINK THEM WITH CENTRAL STATIONS. RECENTLY DEVELOPED INTERFACE EQUIPMENT ALLOWS DISPATCHERS AT BOTH LEVELS TO USE EITHER SYSTEM. COMMUNICATION BETWEEN CENTRAL AND LOCAL STATIONS IS NOW FACILITATED THROUGH FULLY INTEGRATED, AUTOMATIC MESSAGE SWITCHING SYSTEMS WITH THE CAPABILITY OF STORING MESSAGES AND FORWARDING THEM WHEN RECEIVERS ARE FREE. ENHANCED SECURITY OF V.H.F. COMMUNICATIONS IS EXPECTED TO RESULT FROM THE MOBILE AUTOMATIC EXPERIMENT PROJECT, WHICH ALSO ENVISIONS THE SENDING OF PRINTED MESSAGES WHEN PATROLMEN ARE ABSENT FROM THEIR VEHICLES. FUTHERMORE, A VEHICLE LOCATION AND AVAILABILITY SYSTEM WILL AID CONTROLLERS. A CODED TONE GENERATOR SIGNAL TRANSMITTED BY THE VEHICLE OVER V.H.F. WILL INDICATE POSITIONS ON DISPLAYS IN CENTRAL STATIONS. THIS TRANSMISSION MAY BE AUTOMATIC, OR MANUALLY UPDATED BY THE PATROLMEN. AN IDEAL SYSTEM FOR THE FUTURE SHOULD (1) BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO ALL AREAS REQUIRED AND VOID 'BLACK SPOTS,' (2) BE RELIABLE AND OF STURDY DESIGN, (3) AND BE SIMPLE TO UNDERSTAND AND OPERATE. APPENDIXES AND FOOTNOTES ARE NOT INCLUDED.