Port of Seattle Police Go Wireless

The Port of Seattle Police Department went wireless Wednesday when it selected Aether Systems Inc.’s PocketBlue handheld application for mobile law enforcement to aid its efforts to enhance security at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the Seattle Seaport.

The technology will allow more than 100 law enforcement personnel to query criminal information from federal, state and local databases. Aether said the queries will return responses within seconds. The software will be installed on RIM 957 devices.

“Our working environment requires officers to leave the patrol car and interact with people on foot,” said Captain John Holman of the Port of Seattle Police Department. “Only through a handheld device can an officer in the field maintain unified data communications. A tenant of community policing is to get the officer out of the car and interacting with the people. This tool will afford the beat officer data connectivity tools previously available only over a Mobile Data Terminal in a vehicle.”