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Officers will have to wait for computers
By MICHAEL SANDLER, Times Staff Writer LARGO -- Police officers will have to wait another year to have computers in their cruisers, but the city government wants to get them rolling soon. With next year's proposed budget awaiting final review, the city has included $50,000 for research and development toward a plan to install up to 100 computers in squad cars sometime in the near future. Assistant City Manager Henry Schubert said the money could even be used to hire a consultant to study the total cost of the program, which police Chief Lester Aradi has estimated at no more than $5-million. Aradi said the computers are just a "piece of the pie" and that most of that money needed would pay for software compatible with the department's current system, C-PLIMS. Using that would allow his patrol officers to type in tag numbers while they are on the streets, call up historical data on previously reported crimes and reduce the amount of time they devote to paperwork. They would also be able to retrieve information from state and federal systems. "People have called me up and said, "Why can't you just go to Best Buy and mount a laptop in the car?"' Aradi said. It's the software that costs so much, he said. Aradi said he supports the city's decision to hold off and said he hopes to have a "serious proposal" ready before July 2003. That way commissioners can consider it for the 2004 budget. City officials have said they might have to raise property taxes to absorb some of the added cost. "We are proceeding cautiously because I don't want to make a multimillion dollar mistake," Aradi said. "I'd rather take a little bit extra time, get all the stakeholders involved and make sure we make the right decision." -- Michael Sandler can be reached at 445-4174 or sandler@sptimes.com.
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From the Times North Pinellas desks |
