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From the Ripon newspaper:
Ripon cops switching to better frequency
RIPON — Police Officers in Ripon could be operating on a much better frequency by July.
Literally.
Tuesday the City Council approved a contract proposal from Motorola that will cover the expenses of upgrading from the 150 MHz band to the new 450 MHz band that is being considered the standard for law enforcement and emergency services in San Joaquin County.
The move will increase interpretability with other agencies and will help provide an overhaul to Ripon’s aging communications system. It will improve all aspects of how officers receive calls and communicate with dispatchers that serve as a lifeline in the field.
“One of the big things is that this will upgrade our radio system that definitely needs to be upgraded,” Police Chief Richard Bull said. “There are some dead spots and some things that need to be addressed.
“This will take care of that.”
Initially the department began searching for possible candidates capable of outfitting the department with the new system and eventually sent the project out to bid only one bite from a Sacramento company that represents Motorola. That’s the company that designed the MESH wireless camera system that has become the envy of every law enforcement agency in the region.
For just over $300,000, the department will be able to upgrade all of their communications just in time for the arrival of the regional dispatch center now under construction at City Hall. It will provide a local home base outfitting with the latest in technology that will only help to provide even more information to officers in the field.
The transition, Bull says, should be smooth since the department has already tested 450 MHz radios and already maintains three different FCC licenses for the upgraded radio position.
“When you combine this with the new dispatching center we’re going to have amazing capabilities that weren’t there before,” Bull said. “This will bring us on-line and enable us to communicate with other agencies that we work with frequently.”
Just a month ago the Manteca City Council approved the expenditure that allowed the department to prepare switching their aging radio system to the 450 MHz band.
Both agencies maintain a close working relationship because of their proximity and seemingly overlapping borders.
Additional expenditures could be required to purchase portable radio units capable of operating at the new frequency, and to upgrade the repeaters that will ensure proper radio coverage is achieved throughout the area.
Tuesday’s meeting also marked the last time that the council will conduct business in the building that has served as their home since 1990.
With construction completed and wrapped up on the new City Hall complex, the City Council will resume business later this month in their new state-of-the-art facility.
Ripon cops switching to better frequency
RIPON — Police Officers in Ripon could be operating on a much better frequency by July.
Literally.
Tuesday the City Council approved a contract proposal from Motorola that will cover the expenses of upgrading from the 150 MHz band to the new 450 MHz band that is being considered the standard for law enforcement and emergency services in San Joaquin County.
The move will increase interpretability with other agencies and will help provide an overhaul to Ripon’s aging communications system. It will improve all aspects of how officers receive calls and communicate with dispatchers that serve as a lifeline in the field.
“One of the big things is that this will upgrade our radio system that definitely needs to be upgraded,” Police Chief Richard Bull said. “There are some dead spots and some things that need to be addressed.
“This will take care of that.”
Initially the department began searching for possible candidates capable of outfitting the department with the new system and eventually sent the project out to bid only one bite from a Sacramento company that represents Motorola. That’s the company that designed the MESH wireless camera system that has become the envy of every law enforcement agency in the region.
For just over $300,000, the department will be able to upgrade all of their communications just in time for the arrival of the regional dispatch center now under construction at City Hall. It will provide a local home base outfitting with the latest in technology that will only help to provide even more information to officers in the field.
The transition, Bull says, should be smooth since the department has already tested 450 MHz radios and already maintains three different FCC licenses for the upgraded radio position.
“When you combine this with the new dispatching center we’re going to have amazing capabilities that weren’t there before,” Bull said. “This will bring us on-line and enable us to communicate with other agencies that we work with frequently.”
Just a month ago the Manteca City Council approved the expenditure that allowed the department to prepare switching their aging radio system to the 450 MHz band.
Both agencies maintain a close working relationship because of their proximity and seemingly overlapping borders.
Additional expenditures could be required to purchase portable radio units capable of operating at the new frequency, and to upgrade the repeaters that will ensure proper radio coverage is achieved throughout the area.
Tuesday’s meeting also marked the last time that the council will conduct business in the building that has served as their home since 1990.
With construction completed and wrapped up on the new City Hall complex, the City Council will resume business later this month in their new state-of-the-art facility.
