Sep 1, 1996 12:00 PM

Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile, Bedminster, NJ; Cerulean Technology, Marlborough, MA; and the Bethlehem, PA, police department have equipped several police cruisers with laptops using a new wireless data technology that allows fast access to information from motor vehicle and criminal information databases. Officers can make an inquiry and can obtain information in seconds without having to contact the central dispatcher. Cerulean's PacketCluster Patrol software works with Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile's cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network known as AirBridge. The software provides the police officers access to federal, state and local motor vehicle and criminal records.

Through an agreement with the Pennsylvania state police, the officers will also be able to access the National Crime Information Center and the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance Network. These two data warehouses provide information on wanted and missing individuals and stolen vehicles.

The officers will be able to "silently" communicate car-to-car as well as car-to-dispatch through electronic mail messages. Communication between the AirBridge network and the PacketCluster Patrol system is secure because both systems use encryption.

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