Los Angeles County sheriff's cruisers to get fast 'Iraqi'-style computer systems

Starting this month, one of the nation's major military contractors is outfitting sheriff's patrol cars with sophisticated computer systems and high- tech gadgetry that has been perfected for the battlefield, the Los Angeles Times reported.

At a total cost to taxpayers of $20 million, Raytheon Co. promises to deliver technology that will enable deputies on the road to sort through key intelligence information in seconds, where it once took hours or days, The Times reported.

In a single roadside stop, deputies will have the ability to run a background check using a searchable FBI database, pull up a suspect's mug shots, or even obtain fingerprints.

Daniel J. Crowley, president of Raytheon's Network Centric Systems, noted that soldiers in Iraq face many of the same challenges trying to navigate and communicate while on the streets of Baghdad.

"The military's situation overseas may be much different from the sheriff's department, but the need is basically the same," Crowley said. "Our goal is to give them capabilities at an affordable cost."