Crime & Safety
Mountain View Police Give New Tech Tool Rave Reviews at Wonderland
The Mountain View Police Department tested a pilot application allowing a central command to track law enforcement personnel at last month's Beyond Wonderland concert.
A tech tool developed by a Mountain View company got its first test in the field last month, and it passed with flying colors.
That's according to the Mountain View Police Department, which deployed a pilot application allowing a central command to track law enforcement personnel at the Sept. 28-29 Beyond Wonderland concert.
Altus blue force tracking application was developed by Mountain View-based Polaris Wireless, a company that develops applications for use by law enforcement and other public safety agencies.
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The Altus enabled police to track the movements of more than 20 uniformed and plain-clothed officers at the Shoreline Amphitheater rave concert that drew over 40,000 over a two-day period.
More than 100 arrests were made at the concert, mostly on drug-related charges.
Find out what's happening in Mountain Viewwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
During this pilot deployment, some officers were equipped with department-provided mobile phones, which were monitored using Polaris Wireless Altus from a command post set up in the event grounds
"In an ongoing effort to ensure the safety of the citizens of Mountain View, we continually seek out industry-leading technology that enables us to do our jobs more safely and efficiently," Mountain View police Lt. Chris Hsiung said in a prepared statement.
"The power of the Polaris Wireless Altus application to locate officers via mobile devices presents us with many exciting opportunities."
The tracking system enables law enforcement agencies to track field personnel such as firefighters and paramedics when they are away from vehicles already equipped with tracking devices.
The on-person tracking devices were developed by San Francisco-based Locaid,
The Altus application provides law enforcement more efficient and discreet way of tracking an officer's location than traditional 2-way radios and verbal alerts,
Executive Director of Product Management for Polaris Wireless Don Weigel said in a prepared statement.
"We are very grateful for the opportunity to pilot Altus blue force tracking for the Mountain View Police Department," Weigel said.
"By providing an innovative approach to locate and track officers, Polaris Wireless Altus is ensuring that cutting-edge technology is put to use to increase the capabilities and effectiveness of public safety organizations."
