[LASD] – Equipping motorcycle deputies of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department with laptop computers that provide a new level of public safety and efficiency capabilities has begun.

Approximately 100 LASD motorcycles will carry the new, lightweight computers in saddle bags by this fall.

Historically, motorcycle deputies have had to rely solely on voice communications; now, they can access data on computers, enabling license plate checks, wanted persons inquiries and access to other law enforcement information. The goal is to enhance efficiency and provide the deputies with capabilities they’ve lacked in the past, to better serve their communities.

“These laptops were the foundation needed to make our motorcycle deputies more efficient,” said Captain Scott Edson, Sheriff’s Communications and Fleet Management Bureau. “Traffic enforcement reduces collisions and saves lives. These laptops make possible new technologies, like electronic citations, which will shorten the time it takes to issue a citation and provide more time for deputies to better serve the public. An added benefit is reduced voice radio traffic, a critical lifeline for all law enforcement officers.”

“Deputies can now remain on patrol in the community more hours each day,” said Captain Mike Parker, Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau. “In the past, motorcycle deputies had to return to the station to write reports and review new wanted posters and other important information. Now they can stay closer to where the public and their patrol partners need them most.”

TJ Kennedy, director of Public Safety and Security for Raytheon’s Network Centric Systems business, said, “This technology is a real game-changer for public safety. It gives the department something completely new. These computers have many of the same capabilities as those we’re installing in thousands of LASD vehicles, and the evidence is there that they are already paying major dividends.”

Raytheon was selected last year to upgrade 1980s-era terminals in LASD vehicles with technology that offered more capabilities than the department had ever had. That effort is now extending to its motorcycle fleet as well.

The Sheriff’s Department is also working with Raytheon to replace dispatch consoles for the sheriff and fire departments, enabling them to be more responsive to their communities while raising efficiency and lowering maintenance costs.

For the first time, Fire Department dispatchers will now have the ability to directly connect with nearby fire agencies at the touch of a button.

In accordance with Sheriff Lee Baca’s plan for a complete technological overhaul of the department, the department contracted with Raytheon to design and supply a new mobile data computer system (MDCS) that is allowing the department’s desktop capabilities to now be accessible in its vehicles, providing access to applications such as the Sheriff’s Data Network, mug shot photo downloads, fingerprint programs, geo-positioning systems, email and Internet access.