Communications Study - Dakota County Law Enforcement Association

• NCJ Number: 87026
• Author(s): B A Kellner
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): 78-TA-AX-0036
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Associated Public-Safety Communications Officers, Inc
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This technical assistance report discusses the current status of the consolidation of public safety communications in Dakota County, Minn., and presents advisory recommendations for the completion of consolidation.

Abstract

Some steps toward communication consolidation in Dakota County have occurred; e.g., in several cases, two or more agencies are sharing a common radio channel, and two or more muncipalities are sharing dispatch facilities. The most significant example of consolidation is the use of the Sheriff's channel and dispatch facilities by a number of agencies in the county. The Sheriff's radio channel is available on virtually all police radio units in the county and at all dispatch facilities. Consolidation has occurred in some communities where a common channel is used for police, fire, or other municipal services. Additional system planning and design is required to provide adequate radio coverage of the county, however. To facilitate total consolidation, the Sheriff's mobile relay output frequency should be changed. Currently, it is 15 kHz removed from an adjacent county's frequency, and if it is not changed, problems will result when signal levels are increased in the northwestern part of the county, as recommended. Further, the Sheriff's mobile relay station should be moved from its present location at Rosemount to the water tower in West St. Paul. Other recommendations are that (1) either microwave or wire line links be established between the Sheriff's dispatch center and the West St. Paul mobile relay station, (2) a receiver voting system be established to place receivers closer to the low-power portables and pass the received audio to a voting comparator where it is compared with the signals' quality from other receivers, and (3) the Sheriff's dispatch center be moved from the Sheriff's office to the Government Center building. Further, the interested parties should enter into a contractual agreement for dispatch services. The Sheriff's communication center should provide for communication with highway department units on the highway department's radio system. Dakota County radio/tone frequencies are appended.