Taken from www.policescan.net
LONG HILL TWP – The township could save about $250,000 by sharing its police department communications desk and dispatchers with the police department of Bernards Township, according to Police Chief Michael Peoples.
The governing body authorized applying with Bernards Township for a $100,000 implementation grant from the state’s Department of Community Affairs Sharing Available Resources Efficiently (SHARE) Program, at a Wednesday, Oct. 13 meeting of the Township Committee.
“Our communications desk is obsolete and no longer meets the needs of the township,” Township Administrator Kevin Sluka said.
Bernards Township has a similar problem, he added.
“Whether we receive the grant or not, we certainly need to move forward with improvements to the infrastructure,” Peoples said.
According to the shared-services agreement, Bernards is the lead agency, meaning the town will be the applicant representing both towns and the upgrades will be made to its equipment.
Long Hill Township would no longer maintain a communications desk, but would relocate its dispatchers to the Bernards police station.
Improvements to the Long Hill police communications desk were last done in 1998 and consisted of replacing radios that were purchased in the late 1960s, according to Peoples.
The communications center was moved from one side of the building to another in 1999, he added.
The communications system is in need of major technological upgrades. If done in the township alone, the project would consist of a complete infrastructure facelift, People said.
The cost for each municipality to upgrade its communications desk was estimated at $400,000, Sluka said.
The total construction costs for both municipalities, as a result of the merger, was estimated at $560,000.
“That’s a fairly substantial savings,” Sluka said.
The municipalities would combine their resources from a personnel and financial standpoint, Peoples said.
They would share the costs of the project, consulting fees, legal fees and all associated fees related to the project.
This scenario offers the township a chance to reduce its overtime expenses by having telecommunication operators from both municipalities fill in to answer each other’s calls as needed.
Presently police officers fill in for operators who call out sick or are on vacation, according to Peoples.
Having to maintain only one communications system would also result in recurring savings for both municipalities, Peoples added.
The funds for the improvements will be funded in next year’s capital budget, Sluka said. “With or without the grant, we have to upgrade.”
LONG HILL TWP – The township could save about $250,000 by sharing its police department communications desk and dispatchers with the police department of Bernards Township, according to Police Chief Michael Peoples.
The governing body authorized applying with Bernards Township for a $100,000 implementation grant from the state’s Department of Community Affairs Sharing Available Resources Efficiently (SHARE) Program, at a Wednesday, Oct. 13 meeting of the Township Committee.
“Our communications desk is obsolete and no longer meets the needs of the township,” Township Administrator Kevin Sluka said.
Bernards Township has a similar problem, he added.
“Whether we receive the grant or not, we certainly need to move forward with improvements to the infrastructure,” Peoples said.
According to the shared-services agreement, Bernards is the lead agency, meaning the town will be the applicant representing both towns and the upgrades will be made to its equipment.
Long Hill Township would no longer maintain a communications desk, but would relocate its dispatchers to the Bernards police station.
Improvements to the Long Hill police communications desk were last done in 1998 and consisted of replacing radios that were purchased in the late 1960s, according to Peoples.
The communications center was moved from one side of the building to another in 1999, he added.
The communications system is in need of major technological upgrades. If done in the township alone, the project would consist of a complete infrastructure facelift, People said.
The cost for each municipality to upgrade its communications desk was estimated at $400,000, Sluka said.
The total construction costs for both municipalities, as a result of the merger, was estimated at $560,000.
“That’s a fairly substantial savings,” Sluka said.
The municipalities would combine their resources from a personnel and financial standpoint, Peoples said.
They would share the costs of the project, consulting fees, legal fees and all associated fees related to the project.
This scenario offers the township a chance to reduce its overtime expenses by having telecommunication operators from both municipalities fill in to answer each other’s calls as needed.
Presently police officers fill in for operators who call out sick or are on vacation, according to Peoples.
Having to maintain only one communications system would also result in recurring savings for both municipalities, Peoples added.
The funds for the improvements will be funded in next year’s capital budget, Sluka said. “With or without the grant, we have to upgrade.”
