Police officers in Bonney Lake began using digital radios which will make communication more effective and keep officers safer.
Bonney Lake Police Chief Mike Mitchell and Bonney Lake Mayor Neil Johnson joined others in the police station for an official switch from the old radios to the new on Jan. 27.
Assistant Police Chief Dana Powers said the digital system is clearer than the VHF system police used before, so voices are heard without being obstructed by static sounds.
The department began testing the equipment in November but obtaining digital radios is years in the making and Mitchell worked with the Puyallup Police Department to achieve the improvement.
Ron Tiedeman, director of information technology and communications for the city of Puyallup, and Tim Hannah, communications central commander, attended the event and assisted with the development of the system.
Clarity of radio contact is one way to make officers safer, but another safety feature is the “emer” button, an orange-colored identification device which sends a signal to dispatch identifying the officer. Mitchell said when Pierce County Deputy Kent Mundell was shot in Eatonville in December 2009, a roll call of radio users at the time was conducted, which took a while to identify Mundell. With the new system, it identifies officers quickly and without the need for a roll call, meaning help can be on the way sooner.
The button allows clearer communication in case of emergency by having dispatch transfer an individual to a separate communications line from other officers on their radios, eliminating excessive voices on the line and allowing clearer communication.
“When I took up this project three years ago, one of my desires was to have a radio system that added safety and reliability,” Mitchell said. “My goal was to have a system that was the safest and the best.”
The Puyallup Police Department uses the system already and extension of coverage includes Snohomish, King and Pierce counties. Mitchell pointed to a map of coverage area on the wall, showing the expanded coverage area.
Johnson joined Mitchell in the switch from VHF to digital radio communication, each with a handheld radio.
Applause erupted when Mitchell announced the change being official.
“It’s great to see it finally happen,” Johnson said. “The chief has really worked hard.”
