WEAPONS BAZAAR FOR THE DRUG WAR

For Puget Sound-area police fighting the war on drugs, the scene yesterday
at a downtown hotel was reminiscent of an auto show.

But instead of choosing between a sunroof or leather upholstery, more than
100 narcotics officers from around the region got a look at dozens of
high-tech crime-fighting tools that make even new video games seem
antiquated as typewriters.

Some goodies once showed up only in James Bond movies but are now nearly
commonplace, such as night-vision goggles developed for the military and now
sold in sporting-goods stores. Other displays were more advanced, solving
such problems as how to get a readable image of the license on a moving car.

Beyond such gadgets were systems that could help officers deal with the
sheer volume of information generated in complex drug investigations.

All the devices were being shown at a technology workshop sponsored by the
federal Office of National Drug Control Policy. The workshop was part of a
federally funded technology-transfer program aimed at getting the
drug-fighting devices into the hands of police agencies, especially those
too small to otherwise be able to acquire the expensive gear.

About 2,000 devices have been issued free to departments around the country
that have applied for them since the program began in 1998, said Dr. Al
Brandenstein, program director. "This is an extremely successful program,''
he said. .

The gear generally falls into two categories, he said, with one centering on
equipment officers might use on the street and the second involving support
systems. Both, he said, are proving invaluable.

In one episode, Brandenstein told how two groups of officers were watching
some suspects near Brownsville, Texas, from opposite directions through
thermal-imaging systems - handheld devices about the size of a quarter-inch
drill.

One group suddenly became aware of a living creature, its body heat detected
by the systems, sneaking up on the other agents. The first group warned the
second group, which spun around to face the new threat.

It turned out to be a bobcat. But everyone was thinking how it could have
been someone with a machine gun, said Brandenstein.

While such incidents make good tales, other systems could have even greater
effects.

A data-locator system, for example, keeps track of regional intelligence
information, courthouse records, police records and Internet data. The
$400,000 computer system makes all the material easily accessible, and four
of the systems have been deployed around the nation.

"All the departments could have decided to share data,'' said Brandenstein,
"but it would have been a manual transfer. You could go to each place and
physically get the information, but that would take forever. This allows
instant access.''

The importance of the systems cannot be overemphasized, Seattle Police Chief
Gil Kerlikowske said.

"We have to have the technology to combat this evil of drug trafficking,''
he said, noting that the real value of the equipment is in getting it into
use at local levels, which brought audience applause.

"I think it's an excellent opportunity for smaller departments to let us get
out and do our jobs,'' said Sheriff John Jeffers of 20,000-population Asotin
County in Eastern Washington. "It pretty much cuts the red tape."