McClennan County VHF Trunking?

[Ensnared]

My friend, Hawkeye, sent this one to me today. It sounds like a trunking system is being considered for McClennan county. I wonder which VHF system will be selected & who will get the government contract, Bearcom? When I looked at this news story, I realized that it was from last year, but I wanted to post it because I don't remember seeing this.

County, Sheriff's Office square off over deputies' radios - KXXV-TV News Channel 25 - Central Texas News and Weather for Waco, Temple, Killeen |

 

[Russell]

Same old crock of ****. All the VHF guys had to do was switch to intercity. In the long run these guys are going to end up on one channel with one dispatcher ( or fewer channels with fewer dispatchers). The days of each little town having it's own dedicated dispatcher are history. The more they complain the faster they will end up there. I don't think all the little towns realize that. And the costs are significantly less, too.

Oddly, McLennan County is a atypical in thus regard. The model for the smaller Texas Counties for decades has been all cities on the county channel or all cities on the county PD channel. Waco should have it's own system but the little bitty towns should return to shared dispatch. And every radio in the county should be programmed with the PD for every town in the county allowing anybody to talk to anybody without political repercussions..

 

[Ensnared]

Private Jail & Funds

Same old crock of ****. All the VHF guys had to do was switch to intercity. In the long run these guys are going to end up on one channel with one dispatcher ( or fewer channels with fewer dispatchers). The days of each little town having it's own dedicated dispatcher are history. The more they complain the faster they will end up there. I don't think all the little towns realize that. And the costs are significantly less, too.

Oddly, McLennan County is a atypical in thus regard. The model for the smaller Texas Counties for decades has been all cities on the county channel or all cities on the county PD channel. Waco should have it's own system but the little bitty towns should return to shared dispatch. And every radio in the county should be programmed with the PD for every town in the county allowing anybody to talk to anybody without political repercussions..

Although this news story broke before the recent problems with the jail funding, it goes to show how this county has been mismanaged. The Commissioners have been attempting to make one of their jails compliant with standards. Yes, the citizens were duped by yet another private prison company. I hear they've been courting offenders from other states to fill the one partially filled. When did counties start getting into this odd practice of asking for other prisoners? The times I've been involved in private prisons have involved cleaning up their messes.

It might be some time before the county has the money for the radios. I wonder why they don't want to get a grant?

When will politicians & citizens realize you don't get something for free? It would be quite easy for them to join Woodway since they share 155.73. We'll see.