Chrysler Bids to Nab Police Business With Uconnect Telematics

Chrysler’s Uconnect telematics platform system will be tested in police cruisers as an alternative to the bulky laptops some officers use to relay and retrieve information.

The auto maker is hoping law-enforcement agencies will warm to touchscreen technology over keyboards and other displays. Chrysler will unveil a concept version of the platform at the upcoming International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference in San Diego.

Built with Continental Engineering Systems, the UConnect hardware is located in the center console of a Dodge Charger Pursuit, Chrysler’s fleet vehicle for law enforcement. The auto maker says the system features a 12.1-in. (30.7-cm) touchscreen; the largest screen Uconnect offers in passenger vehicles is 8.4 in. (21.3 cm).

For law-enforcement purposes, Chrysler introduces a plug-in keyboard that can be stowed while the vehicle is in motion. The goal is to reduce the amount of equipment that could cause injury in the event of a collision.

The UConnect police interface will be tested in two Charger Pursuit police cruisers from the Los Angeles Police Dept., which worked with Chrysler to develop the system, during the police chiefs conference. Chrysler engineers will test the technology themselves in a third cruiser.

The auto maker has not said when it expects the system to be fully available for market.

“We saw a clear opportunity to adapt our easy-to-use Uconnect interface for the benefit of police officers and, by extension, society at large,” Marios Zenios, vice president-Uconnect, says in a news release.

Uconnect has been key to Chrysler’s recent marketing efforts. It has been recognized twice as one of the outstanding features in Ward’s 10 Best Interiors winners.

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