“Our radio repeaters have been a public safety issue since I’ve been sheriff,” said Pittsburg County (OK) Sheriff Chris Morris. “It’s a safety problem.” As the McAlester News-Capital reports, county commissioners agreed and backed plans to upgrade cell tower equipment to aid law enforcement. The radio repeater slated for the south end of the jurisdiction near Jackfork comes with a $14,902 price tag that will include a 50 watt repeater, antennas, adapters and other equipment and their installation.
“We’re always here to help anytime the sheriff’s department calls on us for anything,” stated District 1 Pittsburg County Commissioner Charlie Rogers. “We help the sheriff’s office and it goes back to the public.”
Additional repeaters at the north and east ends of the county will allow police radios to communicate across the region. A licensing agreement between Kiamichi Electric Cooperative and the sheriff’s office was unanimously approved by the commissioners.
Sheriff Morris has said that the police communication equipment fell into disrepair during prior administrations, something he quickly noticed when he took on the job in 2017. The central hub that the department had at the time was not up to the task, he noted, and without radio repeaters, the signals were not strong enough to span Pittsburg county. Morris told the McAlester News-Capital that he’s keen to install additional repeaters and is pleased the communications equipment being installed will increase safety for the community and his deputies.
Reader Interactions