The Garden City (NY) Police Department is using Aether Systems' PacketCluster Patrol to wirelessly access real-time information from the newly created New York state database known as the Counter Terrorism Network (CTN).

The CTN posts terrorist alerts and Homeland Security information to help law enforcement agencies protect the public. Garden City has also begun a trial of the handheld-based Aether PocketBlue, allowing members to access information either in their cars or on the streets.

Garden City police officers have used PacketCluster Patrol to query national and state databases and to send and receive wireless messages and alerts for several years. By adding access to CTN via PacketCluster Patrol and providing members with PocketBlue devices, the department will improve its ability to provide real-time information to members in the field.

"We investigated several different methods to integrate our current solutions with the new Counter Terrorism Network and came to the conclusion that Aether provided the most seamless and effective solution," said Lt. Joe Lennon of the Garden City Police Department.