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3 <br /> These uses are traditional uses for mobile data communication systems in law <br /> enforcement. They have been in use for a number of years in Anoka County and since <br /> the early 1970's by pioneer law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. <br /> Activity levels related to data communications, as compared to voice communications, <br /> are expected to grow very rapidly in the next five years. In addition to the current <br /> interfacing to computer -aided dispatch functions and access to some databases for text <br /> information, there is a latent need and demand for the ability to process reports in the <br /> vehicle and to transmit those reports to a records management system by radio <br /> communications during a shift, rather than waiting until the end of the shift or another <br /> day to prepare a report. In addition to transmitting text information, there will be a wide <br /> variety of needs to transmit information in graphic form. Graphic information will include <br /> transmission of fingerprints that are collected automatically on a person in the field; <br /> transmission of high resolution color pictures, including mug shots, as part of records; <br /> and all kinds of other graphic data, including sketches, auto accident diagrams, building <br /> floor plans, and the like. <br /> 1.2.2 Components of the Existing Anoka County Mobile Data Communication System <br /> The existing Anoka County mobile data communication system utilizes a data controller <br /> that was manufactured by Motorola, and that is no longer supported by Motorola. This <br /> data controller is capable of transmission of raw data rates at 4,800 BPS. The vehicle <br /> data equipment consists of a mixture of mobile data terminals and laptop computers. <br /> The mobile data terminals have the ability to receive, display and transmit text data only <br /> on a screen that is capable of displaying no more than 320 characters (eight <br /> 40- character lines). While laptop computers have far more capabilities than the mobile <br /> data terminals, the laptops have been programmed to emulate the mobile data <br /> terminals when they are interacting with the computer -aided dispatch system over a <br /> radio link. The agencies in Anoka County that use laptops for mobile data <br /> communications are also using those computers to perform word processing based <br /> activities including the preparation of reports in vehicles during a shift period. Those <br /> reports are then transferred from the laptop on a diskette for entry into the records <br /> management system. The mobile data terminals in use were manufactured by Motorola <br /> and are no longer supported by Motorola so that spare parts are not readily available. <br /> The existing Motorola data controller and the existing mobile data terminal devices in <br /> vehicles are not capable of supporting the demand for greater capabilities, especially <br /> the transmission of graphic - related information. <br /> 1.2.3. Mobile Data Communications Message Volumes <br />