LOS ALAMITOS : City to Consider Joint Police Radio Service

The City Council will consider a proposal today to study the consolidation of police communications services in Cypress, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach.

The Police Department has asked the council to approve the feasibility study, which could cost the city $40,000.

Police Chief James Guess said consolidation is a high priority because of the high costs expected as a result of a new law enforcement radio system for the county planned for next summer.

Conversion of radio dispatching equipment to the new radio system could cost each city $100,000. To spread the cost, the police in the three cities propose to consolidate communications facilities into a single dispatching center, Guess said. La Palma was originally part of the agreement but has since withdrawn, according to Guess.

To save money, the three cities have already been sharing some services since last year, including court liaison services and a consultant to monitor state laws on recycling.

Cypress, the largest of the three cities, has nine dispatchers and 53 police officers. It has a population of 44,218 with an area of 7.2 square miles. In 1991, it received 21,428 service calls.

Los Alamitos, with a population of 12,000 and land area of three square miles, has 26 sworn officers, three dispatchers and received about 10,000 calls in 1991. Seal Beach has 27,000 people, a land area of 12.5 square miles, and a force of 40 officers. The city’s three dispatchers received 14,096 service calls in 1991.

The study would evaluate each agency’s equipment, facilities and personnel pending the change to the new radio system, identify the methods for consolidation and recommend changes to improve the communications system.

As proposed, the study would also compare private and regional concepts of communications functions and develop plans for existing systems, long-term system change and future needs of each municipality. If approved, the study would begin in May and be completed in August.