Logan City Police boosts technology
The Logan City Police Department is making way for new wireless communication technology that will be implemented into each patrol vehicle in January.
The mobile IP wireless data network will enable police officers to communicate with the main office building from their patrol vehicles, according to IPMobileNet, Inc.
Logan is the first police department in Utah to obtain this technology. As part of a $250,000 grant from the federal government and a $100,000 grant from the state government, Logan City Police received 35 units to place in the marked and unmarked patrol vehicles.
Logan Sgt. Bryan Low said the wireless data network will allow officers to run their own inquiries from their vehicles. This will free up dispatch to take care of other important things. The officers can look up driver licenses, warrants, vehicle registrations, mug shots and other things from the laptops in their vehicles.
Logan Officer Louise Speth said, “It simplifies things and allows you to access information quickly. It’s a great tool. We have computers now, but they don’t have a constant link up and there are spots in the city where the reception isn’t good. It’s money well spent because it enables officers to do their work out in the field.”
Lt. Steve Milne of USU Police said, “It puts the tools directly into the hands of the officers so it is right at their fingertips.”
Low said currently officers have to come into the office to write out their reports. The new idea is to keep patrolmen out of the office. This will save time and allow them to stay near their calls.
One stipulation is for Logan Police to share this technology with other agencies. They will receive 15 to 20 units with all the equipment included. The units will be shared with North Park, Smithfield, Utah State University and Cache County, Low said.
“We’re letting them be a part of the system and the grant. We’re going to manage this for a year and let them try it out. They have to budget it themselves after that,” he said.
The Logan City Police received the grant six months ago and recently wrote a purchase order for the equipment. The equipment will not be delivered until the end of December and will be installed by January.
USU Police will receive one or two networks to try.
Milne said, “We hope we will be able to use this, but we still want to test it out and see how it works for us. One of the drawbacks is the funding.”
Low said the reception of the wireless data network is clear throughout the valley and even halfway up Logan Canyon toward Bear Lake. The networks will be especially beneficial for the Cache County police officers who travel throughout the county which requires sufficient reception.
Logan City Police have been using Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), a data transmission technology developed for use on cellular phone frequencies. CDPD employs unused cellular channels to transmit data in packets, according to webopedia.com.
Low said, “[CDPD] is a wireless modem over a cell phone that required a monthly fee. We were paying close to $20,000 a year and we just couldn’t pay it. With this new technology, it’s just like dialing on a laptop from a telephone line, but we don’t have to pay a fee.”
IPMobileNet, Inc., based in Irvine, Calif., provided wireless data solutions to the public safety market for 20 years. This includes system design, installation, training, and maintenance. IPMobileNet manufactures a complete line of mobile IP radios, IP base stations, power amplifiers, IP Network Controllers, and voice interface units, according to IPMobileNet, Inc.
-mmackay@cc.usu.edu