City OKs Funding for Dispatch System
Dispatchers at the city’s police/fire headquarters got a boost to their aging 911 computer system this week when the City Council approved spending $800,000 for new equipment.
The computer hardware will not be installed for several months, but once in place it will enable the dispatchers to handle 911 calls more quickly, officials said.
It is one step in a series of upgrades to the system and follows recent software improvements that enable police to cross-reference crime statistics with 40 other law enforcement agencies.
The system now in place is 20 years old, and although police say it can handle any emergency, the upgrade will streamline operations. That’s good news to a dispatch center that is understaffed, with employees sometimes working 15-hour shifts to meet demand.
More than $500,000 for the new hardware will come from the state. The remainder will be paid by the city and has already been included in the police budget, officials said.
Eventually, the department will completely remodel the center and install new radio equipment in the hills behind Ventura.
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