Within a few years, video conferencing is expected to be as widespread as the use of the FAX machine is today. Wireless communications will be used to connect and enhance the electronic highway. Wireless communications will provide us with the means to interact with one another without being tethered to the office. Phones, computers, fax machines, radios, electronic tablets, pagers and E-mail terminals are among the many wireless devices presently available. The advantage of these devices is the portability they bring to the work place.
Employees can reach the office any time and the office can reach the employee any time.
Numerous wireless communications products and services are being developed and are expected to become less expensive over time. Because of the importance of wireless communications, I have impaneled a task force that will recommend how the state can maximize the use of this expanding technology. The task force will study the type of system we need, what benefits it will provide, how we will fund it, how it will grow and how we will include all levels of government. The possibilities are endless, including intelligent vehicles and intelligent highways. This technology has many ramifications for law enforcement, allowing agencies to transmit mug shots to patrol cars, silent dispatch, and allowing officers in the field to instantly access law enforcement databases to check for stolen cars, expired registrations and criminal wanted lists.