Conyers, GA: New Police Radio System

[b7spectra]

The small town of Conyers, Georgia, inside of Rockdale County, has opted not to join the DTRS of Rockdale County and build their own.

Conyers Council approves powerful new radio system for CPD and city agencies | Rockdale Citizen

 

[b7spectra]

Rockdale County has an operating DTRS. Why Conyers has to build their own is beyond imagination. Conyers has population of 15000 residents in a 11.9 square mile area. I guess they really do need a DTRS for the area!

 

[b7spectra]

Conyers, GA, new Police Radio System

Looks like Motorola hooked another SMALL city for a 2 site DTRS!

Conyers Council approves powerful new radio system for CPD and city agencies | Rockdale Citizen

 

[rapidcharger]

Well congratulations Motorola!



(and my deepest condolences to the tax payers of Conyers)

 

[b7spectra]

I work at an agency in Fulton County. Fulton currently charges $330 per radio per year on their system. At 100 radios, we would pay $33,000 a year to be on a system that we do not have to pay for any system issues, maintenance, updates, etc, just the purchase cost of the radios we use. At $33,000 a year, it would take us 107 (that's right) YEARS to pay out $3.5 million dollars to Fulton County. 107 years. And for a system that has a life span of about 15 years (the current analog is about 20 years old and doesn't know it's dead yet), one can see how the citizens of Conyers are getting fleeced! Join Rockdale and let them pay for the system.

 

[CapStar362]

conyers is just trying to be that "Ole Country Town" without the "Ole Country Technology" as the county seat.

i dont know who hosts CPD on broadcastify, i love it though. clear as silk.

 

[MTS2000des]

Join Rockdale and let them pay for the system.

As someone who operates a tiny amateur radio network, it's easier said than done. For Conyers to WANT to join the county network, they have to be willing to make concessions. The benefits of being on an interconnected, unified system are many, but it's only a success if EVERYONE participates and is uniform.

We've done that in Cobb county, granted we've spent A LOT of money (remember though, money trees grow here- just ask commission chairman Tim Lee) but at least all our cities and county agencies can work as one when needed and everyone isn't spread out on a half dozen different systems/channels/modes and saying "MINE MINE MINE".

But hey, if Conyers wants to be like "those guys" in North Fulton, apparently money trees grow in a town of just under 14,000 people (2009 census), apparently they have it like that.

My question is, did Conyers buy their OWN core or just add sites as a separate RF subsystem to Rockdale's system? If they are sharing a zone core, good for them- but if they bought their own zone core AND sites, than that is just wasteful. But like I said, apparently money trees grow there.

 

[CapStar362]

from what im hearing its their own system. they will allow cell sites on the two towers for the various PSP's and possibly a M-Wave link for future Rockdale integration. according also, they will share ( at some point ) if their net goes down, because they will be P-25, they can tap over into Rockdale ( if willing )

also with neighbors Newton and Dekalb, gwinnett, henry and Walton all touching Rockdale - InterOp is possible. though Conyers is in the middle of the county:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ncorporated_areas_Conyers_Highlighted.svg.png

i dont think Walton, Henry, Gwinnett and Dekalb would be pushing that far into Rockdale. Newton could, as its sitting on the west side right on the horse park, which is CPD Jurisdiction.

 

[MTS2000des]

CapStar, do you have a link to the RFP?

I would like to know specifically what they bought. If they bought a zone core, sites and subscriber radios...well, for a town of under 15K people, that was one of the most expensive procurements in Georgia history for a new radio system for a town of that size.

Many counties (like Paulding and Polk for instance) have purchased ENTIRE countywide MotoTRBO networks for less than that.

Buying a zone core (which if what you say is true) rather than sharing Rockdale's is wasteful and capricious squandering of taxpayer money.

No. That never happens. Not here. Not in this state. :roll:

 

[Metrofire31]

One could only assume that the City of Conyers has a substantial amount of money that they don't need elsewhere. Or could it be it's a simple as wanting another government entity, i.e., Rockdale County, to "control" the radio system. You simply can't imagine any logical, innocent reason why they would not want to join the county digital system. Would it stand a simply inquiry by informed (amateur radio licensees, other city/county managers, etc) citizens of Conyers? Citizens of Conyers: this is such a "red flag decision" that no citizen of the city should sit by quietly without demanding a second review by a citizen review board."

 

[CapStar362]

negative on RFP, coming from word of mouth from CPD Officer i know and Rockdale Deputy i know. both personally

i will look for it

i know i saw a large group of people with phones taking pictures of a site just cleared out behind the horse park. some of them CPD, and one looked like a very decorated CPD, LT or higher.

would be most likely one of the sites they are clearing for 1 of the 2 towers.

 

[CapStar362]

im considering getting involved with one.

Conyers simply as the County Seat has this mentality

"Good Ole Country Town" but no to "Good Ole Country Town" style equipment.....


Conyers has actually SEVERELY outgrown itself. years ago, i remember conyers being exactly that statement above. hardly squat to do in Conyers. now its a full blown sub-urban nightmare. i spot GA Tags from as far as Fayette County and even further, multiple times. i have seen tags from Houston County ( macon area ) on multiple occasions, and where do they go? not to work....... SHOPPING.


what does conyers not have now? a full scale mall? ummmm...........................................that's pretty much it.


we have every major company here. walmart, Target, Publix <-- 3 of them, Krogers <- 2, every major fast food, office depot, kohls, belk..........

conyers has become the east of atlanta's PREMIER location. as the almost halfway point between ATL and Augusta...... my god!

every day, the I-20/SR-138 Bridge and for at least a mile distance in either direction of 138 is a HORRID nightmare. the lights are out of sync with each other and people ( inlcuding myself ) have complained and *****ed and whined and stomp their feet......

 

[mikewazowski]

Threads merged.

 

[MTS2000des]

Would it stand a simply inquiry by informed (amateur radio licensees, other city/county managers, etc) citizens of Conyers? Citizens of Conyers: this is such a "red flag decision" that no citizen of the city should sit by quietly without demanding a second review by a citizen review board."

Mike, sad to say but most people in this hobby don't seem to care.
I mean, we have people who have in their signature line on these forums that they "pay their mortgage selling encryption" so what makes you think people will take their time to put together and INFORMED comment and take the time and effort to contact these officials or go to the public meetings?

I can tell you from personal experience. Back in 2005 when my county went on their spending spree number two of xxx insisting on replacing our fully functional and then supported Smartnet II system with phase 1 (only to be replaced with phase 2 not even 7 years later), I attended a public meeting and commented. NO ONE else from the then "Scan Cobb" community bothered to show.

Plenty of complaints but no one other than myself and my cohort attended.

But at the end of the day, does it really matter? These corrupt SOB's are going to do what they want with our money and there is little if anything we can do about it. The corruption runs so deep and money flows from vendor, to consult, to elected/appointed official and back again.

Meanwhile our taxes continue to increase, while the level of services we receive continue to decrease.


We're short 100 officers in my county- 100 officers. Yet we're building a stadium, constant construction projects rubber stamped, and new shiny toys.

As I've said before, it's all about priorities. It is crystal clear that what we say as citizens is not a priority to those who are spending our money. Zero accountability and zero responsibility on part of those who we entrust to serve us.

So it's no wonder why no one bothers to show up to those meetings. And even when some of us do make the effort to show up and exercise our constitutional right to be on the public record, we get silenced:

Opponents Barred From Speaking As Cobb County Approves Braves Stadium