As part of the deal, police vehicles will be equipped with a computer to house the system that can handle the stresses of high-speed cruiser life. Winton, Richard A new San Gabriel, Calif., Valley police helicopter will operate over the cities of Arcadia, Azusa, Covina, Monrovia, Pasadena, and West Covina in order to crack down on crime. The helicopter will be in use between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and will allow officers to better protect the public. The helicopter is a military version of the Jet Ranger and is adorned with infrared tracking technology. The new form of transportation will allow officers to reach crime scenes in a reduced amount of time and track perpetrators without endangering officers' lives.
Officials hope to see similar positive results with the updated system in the near future.
The Cal DOJ is responsible for the record of every arrest in California, and the new system will allow them to replace shady prints with more accurate copies. Fingerprinting identification systems in California have already led to the matching of 3.5 million prints, and with the new technology, the numbers are expected to rise. As technology continues to spiral into realms unimaginable several decades ago, law enforcement officials are being given the means to more effectively protect the public and themselves. Police cruisers in Salem, Mass., are now equipped with computer keys, computer screens, radio frequency buttons, Lo-Jack stolen car monitors, siren switches, and infrared night vision monitors. Officers behind speeding cars have the ability to access information regarding the car and driver by simply entering the license plate number.