Campbell council considers joining digital police dispatch system

CAMPBELL

Due to failure of its current setup, the city is looking into joining a digital police dispatch system utilized by Boardman, Austintown and Mahoning County.

City council reviewed dispatch proposals during a special meeting Monday. The issue first came to council’s attention after the police department lost its dispatch signal during a storm May 14.

Mike Romeo, who provides technology support for the police department, urged city leaders to join a digital system, saying any repairs to the existing system would be stop-gap measures.

“As I see it, this isn’t a wanting issue,” Romeo said. “This is a safety issue.”

The new equipment recommended by Romeo would cost the city about $123,993, though Motorola Solutions would offer a 40 percent discount if the city made its order before June 24. Romeo estimated the city would need to spend more than $100,000 on repairs if it kept its current analog system.

Phase one of the shift to a digital trunk dispatch system cost $1.7 million, split between Austintown and Boardman townships, Boardman Police Chief Jack Nichols said. Mahoning County also paid about $2.5 million. Nichols said system maintenance was free the first year and $50,000 ($25,000 per township) the second year.

The system is designed so that other departments would be able to pay fees and tie in, as the Mill Creek Park Police Department has done.

Mayor Nick Phillips asked about the possibilty using Boardman dispatchers. Officials said Campbell could keep its dispatchers or choose to outsource its dispatch.