National Law Enforcement and Public Safety Network

Establish a National Law Enforcement/Public Safety Network

Integrated Communications Simplify Emergency Response

Imagine this:  A fire following an earthquake is devastating a large
urban area in northern California. Several local, state, and federal
agencies--including fire and police units, state highway units, and
national guard and defense units--are rushing to the scene. Even though
they come from different jurisdictions, the units coordinate easily
because they share a common communications system. The fire is contained
quickly, emergency services are dispatched where needed, lives are
saved, and property loss is reduced as a result.

Whether they are responding to a natural or technological disaster or
performing search-and-rescue or interdiction activities, federal, state,
and local law enforcement and public safety workers must be able to
communicate with each other effectively, efficiently, and securely.
Most of this communication occurs over tactical land mobile radio
systems.

However, interoperability across these different radio systems is
difficult to achieve. Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies
operate in different parts of the radio spectrum. Complicating this
problem is the lack of security on most systems, leaving them open to
interception and monitoring.  When security is applied to the radio
systems--as isdone with many federal radio systems--interoperability
depends on having the correct encryption key to communicate.

Moreover, every federal, state, and local law enforcement agency
operates separate tactical networks in every metropolitan area in the
country. Often, there are several independent network control centers
operating within the same federal building with no interoperation. This
expensive duplication of effort prevents the use of spectrally efficient
equipment and results in less-than-optimum coverage for many agencies.
In addition, technical and administrative support is duplicated
throughout the federal government.

Need for Change

Recently, the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration, a part of the Department of Commerce, mandated that
federal radio users begin the transition to more spectrally efficient
(digital narrowband) radio systems beginning in 1995.  The Federal
Communications Commission is currently addressing this same issue
applicable to state and local law enforcement and public safety. The
Associated Public Safety Communications Officers, Inc., is sponsoring a
federal, state, local, and industry effort to develop technical
standards for the next generation narrowband digital radio systems.

Over the next 10 to 15 years, all federal government radio systems will
be replaced with digital technology. If this is done on an agency-
by-agency basis--as was done in the past--the cost will be enormous and
the same problems with interoperability will occur, resulting in costly
redundancies of equipment and staffing. Current budget conditions make
it critical that the federal law enforcement, public safety, and
disaster response agencies coordinate the transition to digital
narrowband systems. Only through a coordinated approach will cost
savings be realized and the serious interoperability problems of the
past be overcome.

An excellent mechanism for addressing these complex issues--and saving
considerable dollars--is a shared infrastructure: a National Law
Enforcement/Public Safety Wireless Network. Development of this network
can be based on the efforts of two ongoing interagency initiatives.

---The Federal Law Enforcement Wireless Users Group, a joint Treasury-
Justice Department initiative, was formed to plan and coordinate future
shared-use wireless telecommunications systems and resources.

---The Communications Interoperability Working Group, which consists of
representatives from the Department of Defense, Coast Guard, and federal
law enforcement agencies, under the auspices of the Office of National
Drug Control Policy, has been defining minimum baseline requirements for
current, secure, interoperable federal radio systems.

These new technological advances will permit the deployment of
intelligent radio systems that are feature enhanced, spectrally
efficient, and secure. Interoperability will be accomplished, and the
radio system can be connected to other fixed networks to improve the
flow of information--e.g., fingerprints, mug shots, or criminal records
to the uniformed officer or special agent on the street. A consolidated
approach will result in numerous advantages in cost and quality of
service.

Cross References to Other NPR Accompanying Reports:

Transforming Organizational Structures, ORG05: Sponsor Three or More
Cross-Departmental Initiatives Addressing Common Issues or Customers.

Department of the Treasury, TRE01: Improve the Coordination and
Structure of Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.