Police in Norwich, CT, will be getting a new 114-foot communications tower with the support of the Commission on the City Plan, reports GovTech.com. “There will be one gantry-type, three-legged tower instead of a wooden sea of poles,” confirmed Chief Patrick Daley.
The multi-million dollar upgrade will replace the antiquated analog radio system currently used by the Norwich police with an upgrade that will allow it to connect to the state’s police network.
The $2.7 million bond ordinance was passed by voters last November. Motorola has been hard at work setting up the new substation and installing equipment. The project is expected to be completed by March 2020.
GovTech.com notes it would have cost between $6 million and $12 million if Norwich had chosen to build its own replacement system instead of linking in to existing technology. New police radios have already been obtained thanks to a $500,000 state grant.
Other upgrades, such as the antenna equipment that has been added to a smokestack at the Wheelabrator waste-to-energy plant in neighboring Lisbon will help eliminate dead spots. The upgraded communications substation at 37 Orchard Street will enable troopers to connect with one strong signal instead of having to switch between devices as cell reception changes. The additional antennas will keep different branches of law enforcement from local to state to tribal police on the same wavelength, so to speak.
August 27, 2019
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