DURHAM -- More than 50 police chiefs from across New Hampshire will participate in the first-ever demonstration of Project 54 a collaborative effort in the making since 1997 between University of New Hampshire researchers and the state Department of Safety.
The demonstration will take place Monday at 9 a.m. at The New England Center, on the Durham campus.
Project 54, formally known as the Consolidated Advanced Technologies for Law Enforcement, is a major initiative designed to bring better technology to law enforcement officers in the field, according to UNH spokesman Kim Billings.
The advanced police cruiser technology was developed at UNHs College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and transforms the way police work is done, said Billings.
The multi-million-dollar project, undertaken in close collaboration with New Hampshires Department of Safety, will increase officer safety, improve operating efficiency, and reduce equipment costs saving taxpayer dollars, noted Billings.
The prototype includes embedded mobile computing equipment, wireless networking, and voice-activated technology.
Continuous funding has been provided through the efforts of U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., who agreed with UNH and state officials when the project was first launched that the Granite State could be a test for the new technologies. The senators communication director, Erin Rath, will attend the demonstration.
State police did the initial testing of the system, said Billings.
The next phase is a broad cross-section demonstration by local police departments.
From the outset, Sen. Gregg wanted local departments to participate in the project, and he wanted local officers to be among the first to benefit from these new technologies, according to John Aber, UNH vice president for research and public service.
Departments attending Mondays event include Portsmouth, Exeter, Durham, Lee, Madbury, Laconia, Alton, Newington, Conway, Madison, Middleton and Barrington.
Project 54 is so-named because todays police cruisers operate with basically the same technology used by the cruisers in the popular 1950s television series, "Car 54, Where Are You?" says Billings.
The UNH/Department of Safety collaborative redesign the first of its kind in the country will significantly change the "Car 54 approach," concludes Billings.