Of course NY state has to be one of the very few states now a days that did NOT do an actual state-wide P25 system like MOST of the other states did. I don't know how many exactly that did do an actual state wide P25 system but It seems like most have by this point. But then again NY state also do the weird thing that NY State Police are dispatch by the counties (minus the Thruway that does their own) which I never understood why when practically every other state their State police does their own dispatching and the counties do their own (meaning the counties and state police coordinate together when needed instead of the counties doing it for them meaning state police).
While NY is nowhere near as big as some of the western states, it is a pretty big state, with widely varying terrain, population density, vegetation, etc. The needs of the NYSP are very different in (for example) Herkimer or Hamilton Counties versus Monroe or Ontario, not to meantion NY City!
As a result, the "who dispatches NYSP" varies as well. I can only speak directly for Monroe County, but 'back in the day' it worked as you suggest: If NYSP was needed to assist the county or one of the towns, that meant a phone call (or maybe low-band radio call) from one dispatch center to another. How is that efficient?
Today, the City of Rochester (and I believe County of Monroe) contract with the NYSP to provide primary coverage on the interstates in the county. So if there is an accident or disabled vehicle on I-490, the county or city will directly dispatch a trooper. One of the big advantages to doing it that way (other than removing the need for a phone call) is that the other law enforcement units hear the call as well and can respond if they are closer. That works in the other direction too: if a town or county unit is dispatched to a high-priority call and there is a trooper nearby they can respond as well. This system seems to work well, so the fact that it's done differently in other places doesn't really matter.
In some of the very rural counties of NY, the NYSP provides the primary (or in some cases only) law enforcement road patrol, so obviously it makes sense for them to do their own dispatching.
Very true. NYS is 20-40 Years behind. No surprise there. And yeah, it is one of the very few on that list. The only other states that have a proper statewide system in the area are CT, NJ, and PA. There are a number of other states, too, but NY is far behind. I get that the geographical size of NY State might be an issue, but other states of similar size, like PA, IL, or even CO, have accomplished it.
Perhaps drifting a bit off-topic here, but I wanted to comment on the assertion that (to paraphrase) "All of the cool states have a statewide system but NY doesn't". If I get really bored some day this week I'll look through the RR database and count how many states have a statewide system and how many don't, but for now I'll have to go on personal experience. I make long-distance drives several times a year to Virgina and Kentucky (from Rochester NY). Here's the score:
New York: No
Pennsylvania: Yes, but only used by the state police and other state agencies
Maryland: Yes, but many counties/cities have their own systems
West Virginia: Yes, but some counties do not use it
Virginia: Yes, but only used by the state police and other state agencies
Ohio: Yes, but some counties/cities have their own systems
Indiana: Yes, but some counties/cities have their own systems
Kentucky: No
I'm not sure why "Pennsylvania did it, why can't NY?" is being held up as an example, since it looks like four out of 67 (if I counted right) counties are using it. What would be the advantages to the individual counties and cities of having a single state-run system instead of them being able to implement what's best for their needs? If the argument is, "Well there should be a statewide system for the state police", why? What advantage would that provide in Monroe County?
, maybe TDMA CC for vendor locking too if I know my L3Harris.
