City of Edinburg Police Department Radio Interoperability Project

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG) allows states and units of local government, including tribes, to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and local needs and conditions. Grant funds can be used for state and local initiatives, technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, and information systems for criminal justice, including for any one or more of the following purpose areas: 1) law enforcement programs; 2) prosecution and court programs; 3) prevention and education programs; 4) corrections and community corrections programs; 5) drug treatment and enforcement programs; 6) planning, evaluation, and technology improvement programs; and 7) crime victim and witness programs (other than compensation).

The city of Edinburg will use the FY 2010 Bureau of Justice Assistance JAG funds for law enforcement equipment. The Police Department will implement an Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) System to assist in dispatching Officers on duty to calls for services. Currently, non-emergency calls for services are assigned to a Patrol Officer who assigns the calls by patrol quadrant. The AVL System will be integrated with current the Computer Aided Dispatch System to assist Radio Dispatchers in assigning calls to Patrol Officers. The AVL system will select the most appropriate patrol car to respond to the location of a particular call based on geographical factors rather than quadrant assignments.
The implementation of this system will allow for a more timely response for service and reduce the overall response time.

NCA/NCF