New communications gear helps police

While incidents like the one that occurred in Springfield are difficult to prevent, the chances of apprehending the criminals are greatly increased by efficient communications on the part of law enforcement. Those capabilities have been significantly augmented with the procurement last week of over a hundred thousand dollars worth of new radio equipment by the Police Department. The new handheld and mobile radios, along with remote controlled repeaters, will mean that every police foot patrol will now be able to communicate instantly with headquarters. This should greatly reduce the response time to reports of crime nationwide. Another encouraging development is a plan to integrate private security firms into the police communications grid by providing them with a special radio frequency and direct land line. According to Home Affairs C.E.O., Alan Usher, this link will also provide the department with a whole new set of eyes and ears to combat crime.