Council Will Back New Police Computers
Whether federal funding is available or not, City Council members say they will back a proposal to upgrade aging communications equipment used by the Police Department.
The council this week authorized Police Chief Randall Gaston to apply for a nearly $450,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. The money would be used to purchase and install personal computers in patrol cars.
Such equipment would allow police officers to file reports electronically from their vehicles, eliminating the need to bring paperwork back to the station, officials said. As a result, Gaston said, patrol officers would be able to spend 40% more of their time in the field.
Among the city officials praising the new technology was Councilman Tom Tait, who called the proposed upgrade “one of the most significant items I’ve seen in the city. . . . To me, that’s about the best bang for the buck we could imagine.”
In case Anaheim does not receive the federal grant, Tait and other council members said, they would seek another funding source.
Gaston said the department’s current communications system has met public safety demands for seven years. However, components are beginning to wear out, he said.
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