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SALINEVILLE -- With the current police radio repeater system becoming more and more unreliable recently, Salineville village council voted unanimously Tuesday to replace it.
Police Chief Matt Devlin said the police were having a harder and harder time communicating with the dispatchers, getting to the point where it was a real concern for officer safety. He called several businesses to look at the system and one came down, determining that the village needed to replace it. Devlin said after taking the repeater box apart to try to fix it, it was determined the system possibly had been pieced together with parts about 20 years ago and it just needed replaced.
Devlin then got a quote for a new digital repeater system of $3,836 through Hudson Communications LLC in Pierpont.
The system will increase the wattage of the system from 30 watts to 50 and Devlin said it will give the village the ability to switch over to go all digital should they need to do so in the future.
While Devlin said he has filled out a grant application that may pay for about a fourth of the cost, it was suggested council could use some of the CARES Act money they receive. The police department responds to many types of calls, including medical calls to help out until an ambulance can arrive.
During the meeting it was noted Salineville just received $13,922, which is its second distribution of the CARES Act Local Government Funds. Mayor Linda Adams called a meeting at 4 p.m., Thursday for those who have further ideas for needs the village has for spending the money, which is earmarked for COVID-19 related expenses for the village.
So the police department is not without a radio, Devlin said he was able to borrow one from the Salineville Fire Department and police are utilizing their frequency until they can get something done with their system.
Both Councilmen Buck Higgins and Jim Wilson talked about the price being a good one and it being a matter of officer safety. Council followed their motions by unanimously voting to buy the new repeater.
djohnson@mojonews.com