I never thought it was great. I hated it the short time I carried it (iDen and CriticalLinc). At one time I know a lot of State agencies thought it was the best thing ever.
Southern Lincs were good administrative tools in my KIB-511 days! SL with it's direct contact feature took a lot of radio & telephone traffic off of radio operators. That freed us up to take care of VHF business without folks simply calling and asking us where someone else was all the time. I was always very vocally opposed to SL, however, for primary communications. I don't think that was ever a serious department consideration but I heard the idea from time to time.
Conservation 0fficers, on the other hand, abandoned their VHF radio system in favor of SL. I don't think them now being on the Forestry VHF system shortly after the SL change over to whatever it is now coincidental.