In the recent thriller Out of Time, Denzel Washington stars as small-town Florida police chief Matt Whitlock, who gets in over his head with a lover turned thief. There is the requisite amount of gunplay for this sort of movie but, ironically, what saves Whitlock's life is an iPAQ. He has installed a GPS tracking system that allows him and other officers to locate each other immediately. Though we have to imagine exactly how the handheld knows where it is (a car-mounted Bluetooth GPS receiver perhaps?) and how it communicates this to the other handhelds, Out of Time demonstrates how vital GPS technology can be—and how perfect the PDA form factor is for it. I don't want to give the ending of the movie away, but let's just say that a car-based positioning system (as opposed to a GPS-enabled Pocket PC) wouldn't have had the same effect.
Is that an iPAQ you're packing, Denzel? (Credit: MGM)
Many real-life police departments use GPS, in systems ranging from installed-in-car solutions to laptop and tablet-based solutions to even some PDA deployments. These real-life systems, though, do far more than simply find a fellow officer. In their PDA incarnation, they can be used to direct car chases, run license plates, verify suspect information, and even solve crimes.
San Diego State University police use Pocket PCs to locate an accident or wirelessly report an event back to the campus control center.
So why don't more departments have such systems? There are a few common reasons, such as budget restrictions and incompatibility between the GPS system and existing systems. But in most cases, it is simply because the department has not yet seen the value proposition in installing one. Let's look at some of the issues.
Components of a successful GPS system
In order for a system of this type to be effective, it needs four components: secure network access, a source of position information, a handheld unit, and software. The software makes the first three work together and allows the handhelds to talk with back-end dispatch and database systems.
1. Secure network access
The first component, secure network access, is perhaps the easiest to provide, as in most areas it can be as simple as contracting with a wireless carrier such as Sprint or AT&T to provide service. Standard protocols such as HTTPS can be used to secure the information. While this is a good entry-level solution (especially for a small department), the cost of this wireless access can add up quickly for multiple users, and intermittent network coverage could severely limit the system's usefulness in remote areas. An alternate approach is to use a pager network such as that operated by Bell South (which provides service to RIM Blackberries, among a variety of other devices). This network can cost pennies on the dollar compared to mobile phone operators, but in many cases doesn't come close to their speed. Some larger departments may even look at deploying their own wireless access system (such as secure Wi-Fi or a proprietary technology) or converting an existing communications system.
2. Position information
The choice of device for acquiring position information is primarily dependent on the level of accuracy that your deployment needs. Network-based positioning, if available in your area, can be very cost-effective if you are using a wireless network for communications, as no additional hardware is required. At present, though, it is not suitable for dispatching an officer to a crime scene or for following a chase, as it provides very general position information at best. For those needing more accurate positioning, a GPS device can be hooked to most handhelds (or laptops, tablets, etc.) to locate the device to within about 10 feet.
3. Handheld unit
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