The implementation of the system has marked an important step forward into the e-policing era. The system has the capability to monitor precisely the position of each of our launches in real time and that is a breakthrough on position reporting with subject identity in communication systems in Hong Kong as well as a very advanced performance project world-wide.

The system employs the Global Positioning System (GPS) to identify the position of the launch. The position data are then passed to a computer terminal (Mobile Data Terminal, MDT) or Vessel Position Unit (VPU), and then sent to the workstation at the command and control centre via a mobile radio through the system infrastructure. The position is updated at six-second intervals for very fast, one minute intervals for medium speed and six minutes for slow-moving launches, satisfying user requirements in the tender specification. The operation control can see all the deployed resources, judge the span of the control and dispatch their resources at any time with the supplementary radio communication. The controller can also arrange for surveillance or protection duties of their resources and ensure the team performs exactly to the plan.

The AVL positioning is displayed on different map layers with landmarks as well as Marine symbols and routings. The history paths of the launches are kept in the record and can be displayed for management purposes as well as for any legal proceedings endorsed by the Judiciary.

The system will also enable the delivery of messages wirelessly among the launches, the control or their command bases. That is a step forward from the one-way wireless short message of the old marine communication system and there is no wireless data on the land police yet. The messages will be sent to the destinations via the servers. The size of the messages is limited to 50k bytes at the moment. Users can send different types of messages: urgent, operational or administrative. With the compression technology in the system, photographs can also be sent through the system. The data files will be stored in the servers for the latest 14 days and can be readily archived for permanent records.

The Force has also made use of the network to provide a fax gateway, allowing mobile faxes to be made available to our launches with the best radio coverage in Hong Kong waters.

The system is capable of being connected to other networks Ñ the Force Email Network, if required. With the IP protocol, the system is readily adaptable to the Internet world. The system provides security access control with user identity and password; it will facilitate the application of searching in other databases such as the vessel registration records of Marine Department, if required.

The network was built to the open TETRA standard that was generated from the success of the GSM in the mobile phone sector. With TETRA software development, it is expected that the system data speed will increase in the coming years and the system will be able to expand its application for other services.

With the new technology, the Force is at the leading edge of e-policing around the world. This is the first technologically advanced project being commissioned with the joint efforts and expertise from Communication Branch and Information Branch of Information Systems Wing.

Most Innovative Service Award for Marine system