[LASD] – The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department proudly announces the deployment of over 1,000 Mobile Digital Computers (MDC), installed in marked and unmarked Sheriff’s radio cars and motorcycles. The computers were formally introduced November 2, 2011, by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Communications and Fleet Management Bureau as part of the Mobile Digital Computer Systems (MDCS) Project, in partnership with Raytheon to provide deputies with faster and more detailed information while working in the field.

The MDC has the capacity to provide information to remote locations such as GPS, internet service, fingerprint databases, DMV information, Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) System, and much more using advanced processing systems developed through Raytheon.

Since the inception of the MDC Project, over 1,000 MDCs have been deployed to more than half of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s 26 patrol stations and bureaus, with 3,000 deputies trained to use them.

Capt. Scott Edson, Bureau Commander of the Communications and Fleet Management Bureau, said, “The Mobile Data Computer was the foundation of our future. With over 1,000 deployed, we now have the foundation for new technologies, have become more efficient, and better serve the public.

“Today, the MDC provides us access to various systems such as the computer aided dispatch, vehicle mapping, field based reporting, county wide warrant system, DMV information and photographs, wanted person flyers, photos of missing children, Amber Alerts, probation and parole information, community based services, and many other law enforcement data sources we never had access to before. Additionally, should we be unable to identify an individual we had reason to detain, a fingerprint reader is included which interfaces to the MDC.”

Capt. Edson went on to say, “The bottom line is the MDC brings much more knowledge to the field deputy, allowing him/her to be more responsive to the community and fight crime. A dispatcher can see a deputy’s location relative to a call for service improving response times, deputies can see each other when responding to contain a crime location and simply fill in the gaps, and so much more. We will continue to look for technologies that will make us more efficient and improve our ability to serve the county residents and visitors.”