Lake Township Police Chief Mark Hummer said one goal he has for 2010 is to have a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system operating by March.

The township trustees in December approved an agreement with the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for a police records management and CAD system for a three-year period beginning this month.

The cost is $47,000. Chief Hummer said the township has secured a grant from the Law Enforcement Terrorist Prevention Program to help pay for the system. The balance will come from a subsidy from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and Northwest Ohio Regional Information System.

With the new equipment, officers will be able to file reports from their patrol vehicles and be able to communicate directly with officers from other area departments equipped with CAD systems.

The system will also include automatic vehicle locator (AVL) capability, enabling dispatchers, through the use of a global positioning system, to know the location of patrol vehicles.

“Mutual aid for us is almost a daily occurrence,” Chief Hummer said. “We’re trying to do more with fewer personnel. This will upgrade our communication and information sharing and accurate record keeping.”

Patrol officers will have access from their vehicles to a database of arrests, citations, and even warnings issued to motorists, for example, as soon as the actions are entered into the system by departments using the system.

The cities of Northwood and Perrysburg are already using the system, the chief said.

“The key to our success is regional law enforcement,” he said, adding he began his push for the system after the 2007 shootings of two employees at a Perrysburg Township trucking facility.

As other agencies arrived to assist Perrysburg Township police and emergency medical units while the shooter was still at large, communication by radio among the departments was hampered because they operate on different frequencies. 

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