Sao Paulo State Police, Brazil

The Customer

The Sao Paulo State Police (SPSP) is the largest Police force in Brazil and one of the largest in the world, employing over 130,000 personnel. Responsible for visible street policing, anti-rioting and general preservation of public order, the SPSP comprises 28,000 radio users across the state of Sao Paulo.

The Challenge

The SPSP felt there was a need to improve the security of their communications and safety of their personnel due to the growing threat of organised crime within the Sao Paulo state. They therefore selected highly secure digital P25 radio communications to gradually replace their old analogue network and prevent clandestine interception of their communications.

The SPSP looked to Tait as a trusted, reliable and P25-compliant supplier to provide 1180 digital P25 terminals that could be used on their existing P25 network. These terminals came complete with highlevel DES encryption and Over The Air Re-keying (OTAR) for fast and efficient management of keys for added security. Open-standard APCO P25 technology was of critical importance to the SPSP so that they are not "locked in" to purchasing from one manufacturer and could benefi t through price competition.

The Solution

Being P25-compliant, Tait's P25 terminals operate in dual (analogue and digital) mode meaning they are fully interoperable with existing Sao Paulo Public Safety analogue radios. As well as providing interoperability with Civil Police and Fire Department communications, this has allowed the SPSP to gradually migrate their network to digital over a 5-year period, signifi cantly reducing capital outlay.

The SPSP have been highly impressed by the exceptional audio quality and robustness of Tait P25 digital radios and are now benefiting from these advantages in the field.