One out of three ain’t bad – council poised to make police radio purchase

Facing a three-item work session agenda estimated to consume 40 minutes of the early evening hours of Monday, July 16, the Front Royal Town Council found itself repeatedly circling the topic of money – specifically a commitment to provide revenue to pay for programs to facilitate sought-after authority, necessary departmental equipment, or citizen-sought capital improvements.

Two-and-a-half hours later it was back to square one on two agenda topics – street repairs brought forward by staff based on citizen complaints; and the establishment of any code or infrastructure to support a now-realized and long-sought-after authority to force action on derelict or deteriorating structures in the town limits.

And if the council couldn’t agree on an expenditure of the relative municipal pocket change necessary to move against clearly-visible eyesores, you can imagine how little traction bigger endeavors like the establishment of property maintenance or rental inspection codes got (see upcoming story).

As for the third agenda topic, though there was again some grousing about cost, council appeared poised to move forward on an authorization of the purchase of a modern police radio system at an estimated cost of $500,000.

FRPD officers are interested observers at the council work session discussion of the purchase of a modern radio communications system for their department. Photos/Roger Bianchini

The long-discussed purchase of a modern police radio system will provide interconnectivity with County law enforcement and emergency services, as well as State Police and many surrounding jurisdictions’ systems. It appeared to be the one agenda item all councilmen agreed was a necessity.

A video demonstration of the proposed digital-based VHF radio system’s handheld unit presented by Motorola regional vendor Teltronic seemed to assure that majority consensus. That video illustrated a radical difference between old UHF systems like FRPD currently uses and the proposed 4-channel VHF Motorola APX radio system. That difference was a nearly total loss of a caller’s voice to background gunfire in the old system versus a virtually total suppression of that background gunfire rendering the remote unit caller’s voice received loud and clear.

The system was presented as eliminating background semi-automatic rifle fire so that a potential officer in distress’s voice would come in loud and clear.

It was also noted that the VHF system provided dialogue clarity comparable to a phone conversation from any distance in a much-expanded town coverage area, as opposed to the old system’s tendency to become “fuzzy” the further away from the receiving radio the transmission originates.

Councilman Jacob Meza inquired as to whether there were any expendable features that could reduce the cost. Teltronic partner Gerry Boyd replied that had already been done.

“We cut the bells and whistles off to get the process started,” FRPD Chief Kahle Magalis elaborated.

However, Vice-Mayor Eugene Tewalt who had berated some of his colleagues over a past reluctance to raise taxes to incrementally set aside revenue for approved, high-dollar projects – most prominently the new police station – continued to express concern at the half-million dollar price tag. He inquired about options other than an up-front payment of the entire cost – “That’d be a lease,” Teltronic rep Butch Bryant replied.

Extreme situations sometimes require extreme solutions – and some financing.

Tewalt asserted a preference for an estimated $80,000 a year lease payment than an up-front $500,000 one. Some quick calculating along press row estimated the $500,000 purchase price tag being reached in just over six years at the mentioned $80,000 a year leasing price.

Tewalt wondered if the Town wouldn’t have to be constantly upgrading equipment once purchased. Teltronic representatives Boyd and Bryant assured the vice mayor they did not envision equipment having to be replaced “every five years”, asserting the Motorola system was designed for a longer service period.

The specter of a purchase under a group contract was also broached after the Teltronic reps noted the Virginia State Police’s use of a Motorola VHF system. However, without any state purchase group in place it appeared council was ready to move forward with the purchase as presented, barring any late-breaking developments.