Police Chief Boisse Correa yesterday unveiled HPD's $871,000 Terrorism Prevention Command Center, designed to serve as a central location to coordinate police response to emergencies such as natural disasters and acts of terrorism.

The center also will allow better communications between police and other county, state and federal agencies that respond to various incidents.

The command center, in the fourth-floor conference room at HPD headquarters, features two banks of six 50-inch television screens that can be operated independently or as unified groups.

Correa said the system, designed by a Mainland firm, GTSI Corp., is only "phase one" of planned technology upgrades for Honolulu police.

Correa said the facility "is better than what they have now" at the local FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force office.

Correa said money for the facility came from a 2004 federal Homeland Security grant. Since 2002, HPD has received $12.2 million in such grants, he said.

The new facility will also be used for meetings held by HPD every three weeks, in which district commanders make presentations and answer questions abut law enforcement activities they oversee.