The council voted 5-0 for a $6.4 million project that includes the radios, new equipment for dispatchers, and a new computer system for storing information about crime and related matters. The radios are expected by fall of this year and the other items about a year later.
Police Chief Nino Amirfar said the current radio system, in use since 1997, failed for about eight hours on Oct. 17 and nearly two hours on Feb. 8. The city had to rely on a backup arrangement with the Stanislaus Regional 911, which serves much of the county.
Amirfar said that backup provides only one channel, rather than the 78 available to all of the Turlock city departments. Police officers also can use cell phones as a backup, he said, but that does not provide the instant communication possible with radios.
Even when the system generally works, it is showing its age in sound quality and coverage, the chief said.
"The radios continue to be staticky," he said. "We have trouble reaching the northwest end of town."
The city expects to get help in paying for the system from California State University, Stanislaus, which has a small police force that coordinates with the city department. The partners also could include the Turlock Unified School District, which works with the city to assure campus safety.
The vote was to allow the city to negotiate a contract with Motorola for the upgrades, part of them financed over 10 years. The council could examine the details at a future meeting.
"Clean up the paperwork later," Councilman Bill DeHart said. "Let's get this done. It's absolutely essential."
The meeting was held with just one day's notice, rather than the three days required under state law for non-urgent matters. Amirfar said he did not even want to wait until next Tuesday's regular meeting.
"It is not 'if,' it is 'when,'" he said. "The radios could go down in two minutes."
The meeting was attended by several city department heads and a few members of the public.
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