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Youngstown board approves request to buy a new police and fire radio system
YOUNGSTOWN
The city’s board of control approved the purchase of a new police and fire radio system.
The new system, approved Thursday by the board, will cost about $1.7 million with $300,000 in interest paid over 10 years to Motorola – or $200,220 annually.
The city will save money with the new microwave setup as it’s currently paying about $350,000 to $375,000 a year to AT&T for maintenance of copper lines on its existing analog system that is in need of improvement, said police Chief Robin Lees.
Also, AT&T’s fee has increased by about 167 percent since 2014, he said.
The new system could arrive as soon as June, Lees said.
Still undecided is whether the radio traffic will be encrypted, or scrambled, so the public cannot hear it.
Lees is recommending encryption saying some criminals listen to police scanner activity and having a scrambled system would be safer for police officers. The chief also said that having encryption would permit officers to provide personal information, including Social Security and driver’s license numbers, over the system. That currently is given through the use of cellphones or computers in police cruisers.
Mayor John A. McNally said he’ll follow Lees’ recommendation on encryption.
The media typically monitors scanners for police and fire calls.
If Youngstown decides to encrypt, it would join Boardman and Campbell as other local police departments that use those radio systems.