Timmins Police now looking at encryption

[dvdbir]

Timmins council is being asked to consider a $3.2-million upgrade in the city's communications and data network system.

The cost would be budgeted over 10 years.

The proposal is being put forward by the Timmins Police Service. However, the system would potentially benefit other city departments include firefighting and public works.

"The radio system we now have is outdated technology and needs to be replaced," said Chief Richard Laperriere.

He said there are some areas within the city where portable radios cut out or are unusable. Laperriere said this has been an ongoing concern from the standpoint of maintaining contact with officers and ensuring their safety at all times.

Since the police will be mandated at some point to upgrade their communications system, it made sense from a cost-perspective to look at making improvements on a city-wide basis, Laperriere said.

The enhanced communications system would be encrypted so that the public wouldn't be able to listen in on police radio dispatches through scanners.

Laperriere said this posed a problem in the past as lawbreakers armed with scanners have been alerted to the fact police are coming and are able to get away.

Timmins Police Insp. Paul Bonhomme, who provided the technical details to city council last night, said the police service is looking at a system that would provide crystal clear coverage beyond the city's borders from one end to the other.

The network would require setting up three strategically located towers. Having the tower network would also provide easy implementation of the wireless the surveillance camera system that is being proposed by police to provide security in the city's downtown.

The technology would also provide for automatic vehicle location, as well as provide a record of various aspects of a vehicle's operation.

 

[dvdbir]

Bonhomme said departments could monitor, among other things, the location, speed of vehicles and whether they're being maintained properly.

Councillors were unanimous in embracing the need to improve communications technology to ensure officer's safety, though several expressed concerns about the total cost.

Of the $3.2 million, $1.5 million is for the police service component while the remaining $1.7 million would be for the base corporate infrastructure.

Coun. Jack Slattery said he didn't have to be sold on the safety aspect. It was the financing that, he said, needs to be worked out.

Council will be asked again to deliberate over this request at budget time

 

[hitsfm]

timmins police getting new digital radios

timmins police an timmins fire soon will be digital check out link.
Police seek upgrade - Timmins Daily Press - Ontario, CA

 

[SCPD]

Yah and it looks like we will no longer be able to listen to the Timmins Police and Fire when they do switch over to Digital Encrypted. All that will be left to listen to in Timmins is Fleetnet. Or if not all of the fire departments are going Digital Encrypted as well, then we will still have them to listen to otherwise just Fleetnet and we will no longer know what is going on right in Timmins if something major or whatever happend to be going on.

So we better continue to listen to them now while we still can before we are no longer able to.

I wonder what type of Digital Encryption they are going to use the 800 MHz or just staying on what they have now but all of these channels will be Digital Encrypted.

We were hoping that they just would of went Digital only like they were supposed to switch over to but not the case.

And I wonder when exactly the Timmins Police and Fire will be switching over and how much longer we have to listen to them. Hopefully it is not until 2011 or later so we will still have this year to continue to listen to them.

Coolguy

 

[dvdbir]

New radio project proposal has city pondering
Wednesday, 13 January 2010 09:04 A 3.2 million dollar proposal from the Timmins Police Service have council deadlocked. TPS is asking for 1.7 million dollars from the city in order for towers and infrastructure, while the police alone are going to fund the other 1.5 million dollars of the project over 10 years. CAO Joe Torlone says there is no room for a project like this in this year’s budget unless council moves around priorities.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 13 January 2010 09:05

 

[dvdbir]

Timmins City Council has approved the changes for the city to migrate to the new radio system as voted in the council meeting March 02, 2010.

 

[mciupa]

...there is no room for a project like this in this year’s budget unless council moves around priorities.

Looks like the priorities "got moved" :roll:

 

[MetalCarnage]

Im not buying anymore scanners, my 396 and 796 will be the last ones i will ever own since the within the next 5-10 years everything i enjoy listening to will be encrypted LOL

 

[dvdbir]

Mind you, this was just the expenditure budget they passed, things might change when the official 2010 budget is released in April.

 

[hodet]

Yah and it looks like we will no longer be able to listen to the Timmins Police and Fire when they do switch over to Digital Encrypted..

I doubt fire will be encrypted. Just because the system supports encryption doesn`t mean everyone on the system will be using it. That would be awfully expensive wouldn`t it. I can see police (well no i can`t but that`s another discussion) but what would justify the expense of encrypting fire?