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Washington, D.C. – Congressman Pete Visclosky today announced that the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies approved $1,925,000 for seven law enforcement agencies in Northwest Indiana to upgrade and improve their crime fighting technology. Additionally, Visclosky’s nationwide Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program will be funded at $25 million in fiscal year 2010. The funding is included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.
“Every day Northwest Indiana’s law enforcement officers take to the streets to keep our communities safe,” said Visclosky. “I have the utmost respect for their dedication and bravery and am proud to provide them with these critical resources that will help them do an even better job of protecting us. My objective is to do everything I can to ensure that they have the best equipment and the most modern technology as they do their jobs.”
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is slated to receive $500,000 to begin the initial steps in the consolidation of Lake County’s 18 dispatch centers. The project, which was developed by the Lake County Public Safety Commission, will require the purchase of new interoperable radios and the corresponding software system in order to increase efficiency, improve 9-1-1 response capabilities, and cut costs.
“The Congressman knows that we at the Lake County Sheriff’s Department have spent the last three years trying to consolidate services, whether it’s been through the technology of data sharing, or most recently we’ve been working on a project that would consolidate our communications centers throughout Lake County,” said Lake County Chief of Police Marco Kuyachich. “What the Congressman’s done for us is a major hurdle toward that goal. The Sheriff and I can’t thank the Congressman enough for all he’s done for us.”
The Merrillville Police Department is slated to receive $500,000 for technology and equipment upgrades to its communications systems. The funds will be used to purchase computer hardware, software, and video recording equipment that will greatly improve the department’s efficiency.
“We’d like to thank Pete Visclosky personally for going beyond normal means in receiving this funding due to our financial need and need for public safety.” said Merrillville Police Chief Joseph Petruch. “These funds will help us keep the Town of Merrillville safe.”
The Highland Police Department is slated to receive $485,000 to purchase and install emergency preemption devices on all traffic signals in the town. The technology upgrade will benefit all of the public safety agencies in Highland by reducing the response time to incidents and lowering the chance of traffic accidents at intersections between first responders and citizens.
“The preemption devices will not only help the Police Department, but also the Fire Department, respond more quickly to the calls we receive,” said Highland Police Commander George Georgeff. “When people are waiting for us to arrive, minutes seem like hours and devices like this will get us there much quicker.”
The Hebron Police Department is slated to receive $190,000 to upgrade its radio communication system, which needs to be improved to meet the upcoming move to narrowband frequency mandated by the Federal Communication Commission. The upgrade will also increase the reliability of the department dispatch and radio communications, resulting in more efficient service for the citizens of Hebron.
“I think it’s great because now we can upgrade our dispatch system to today’s standards and beyond,” said Hebron Police Chief Steven Sibbrell. “I’d just like to thank the Congressman for supporting the Hebron Police Department.”
The Gary Police Department is slated to receive $92,000 to purchase and install a Global Positioning System-based automatic vehicle location system. This combined software and hardware system will allow dispatch to assign officers to incidents in a more effective manner, enhancing critical incident response, patrol, and other day-to-day police operations.
“I want to thank the Congressman for helping us fight crime,” said Gary Mayor Rudy Clay. “The people of Gary appreciate it.”
The Hobart Police Department is slated to receive $90,000 to upgrade computers in police vehicles from commercial grade laptops to Think Pads designed to withstand police driving conditions and allow for more interoperable communication between the department and other law enforcement agencies. The new technology will allow for more efficient communication between law enforcement personnel and agencies, enhanced crime fighting capacity, improved security for sensitive information, and increased equipment durability.
“Our officers are truly thankful for the Congressman’s commitment to them, their safety and wellbeing, and their ability to respond in emergency situations as a result of the technology that he has secured for them,” said Hobart Mayor Brian Snedecor. “This technology not only provides for added safety to the officers, but also provides them the ability to more effectively respond to situations involving the safety and wellbeing of our citizens.”
The Porter Police Department is slated to receive $68,000 to establish a common “backbone” network consisting of dispatch 800Mhz equipment and radios that officers can use to communicate with the dispatch center and each other while allowing interoperability between other jurisdictions. The new system will be modern and reliable, and is designed to grow with the department.
“This funding will help us communicate better with other agencies, especially the state police,” said Porter Police Chief James Spanier. “It will be very good for officer safety.”
The bill also contains $25 million for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership, which Visclosky created in 1998 after he learned that gang members in Northwest Indiana wore bulletproof vests, but police officers did not have the resources to purchase the life-saving equipment. The Partnership funds up to 50 percent of the cost of bulletproof vests purchased or replaced by law enforcement agencies. Since 1999, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership has invested over $234 million in helping over 818,000 law enforcement officers purchase bulletproof vests. In Northwest Indiana, it has provided over $524,000 toward the purchase or replacement of over 2,800 bulletproof vests.
On October 15, 2008, President Bush signed Visclosky’s Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act of 2008 into law, extending the Partnership through Fiscal Year 2012, which continues the grant program for three years. The legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 404-2, passed the Senate unanimously, and garnered widespread support in the law enforcement community.
“Bulletproof vests save lives,” said Visclosky. “With police departments across the country feeling the pinch in this recession, I am pleased to know that the Bulletproof Vest Partnership will continue to support the procurement of equipment that keeps police officers safe in the line of duty.”
“In these tough times with tight budgets, it’s important to be able to get access to bulletproof vests,” said Fraternal Order of Police Indiana State President and National Sergeant at Arms Tim Downs. “Congressman Visclosky’s program makes it much easier to obtain vests. Law enforcement officers across the country appreciate the importance of the program. It saves lives.”
The Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill must be approved by the Appropriations Committee and both the House and Senate before it can be signed into law by the President. |
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