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Franklin Twp. applies for new radios
(by Sean Lehosit, Westside Editor - June 14, 2011)
In 2010, Franklin Township Police Chief Jim Timko began renovating the department’s older radios, but now he hopes to begin the process of replacing them with upgraded digital models.
“During the past several weeks I’ve been working on a project, to get a grant approved and grant application filed for some new portable radios,” Timko said.
According to Timko, the department was approved to receive the radios a number of years ago, however; something unknown transpired and the township never received them.
When he brought the issue to the Franklin County’s attention, Timko said he was told he must re-file for the grant money.
If awarded, the department would receive $25,000 to go towards portable radios – five XPS radios costing $4,000 per device. Remaining money would be spent towards shoulder microphones, programming of the radios, and supplemental equipment.
“It would be $25,000 of federal grant money, for the police department, for equipment that we did not receive in the past," Timko said. “It’s the first step in trying to upgrade our radio system.”
Speeding counter update
Franklin Township officials have continued to research possible devices which would allow them to monitor the speeding activity on local roadways.
“I understand the county has them, they do traffic counts,” Timko said.
Timko plans to personally evaluate the device the county is using – assessing if its applications are worth the cost of purchasing their own machine.
In past meetings, Timko mentioned purchasing the $4,995 unit through traffic fines collected by the township since January.
“Putting more officers on staff will cost a lot more money,” Franklin Township Trustee Chair Timothy Guyton said. “Plus, this is a tool that we can have and I think this tool could diffuse some of the issues we have.”
Guyton said a device such as this would be an impartial witness to speeding incidents and allow the police department to target the proper locations where infractions occur.
To explore all options, Timko is searching other law enforcement entities that might share the cost of the device. So far nobody has voiced an interest.
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