The Edinburgh Police Department continues to update in an attempt to keep up with the fast pace of technology.  With the help of the Johnson County Commissioners and the Johnson County Consortium, which Edinburgh is a part of, Edinburgh has the state of the art digital radio system. In November 2003, Edinburgh Police was brought on line with the Johnson Countywide computer system which allows all agencies to see what the other is doing and who they are dealing with in an attempt to apprehend criminals who are going into multiple communities committing crimes.

 

In mid 2004 Edinburgh Police joined the rest of Johnson County with the installation of laptop computers in the police cars where the officers may be dispatched wirelessly and eventually silently. The wireless communication enables officers in the field to respond to calls and respond over the laptop the disposition of the calls. The wireless link is the fist in Indiana to be solely on the 800mhz digital radio towers in lieu of using cellular towers at a high cost to the county. In early 2005 Johnson County officers will be online with the state Indiana Data Communication System (IDACS) where officers will have mobile access to bureau of motor vehicle files and driver license files, also officers will have access to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to search for wants and warrants.

 

Previous to the countywide computer, the criminals slipped through the cracks and/or detectives and officers had to call other agencies to find out the information which is not at their fingertips.  Edinburgh’s use of laptop computers in the police cruisers, which will allow dispatchers to send calls by computer and reduce the radio traffic that sometimes is monitored by the criminals again giving police the upper hand. 

 

The multi-million dollar funding comes from "911” telephone fees charged to telephones throughout the county and a Hoosier Safe-T State Grant.  A Federal Homeland Security Grant through the Johnson County Emergency Management Director Forrest “Tug” Sutton has assisted Edinburgh in obtaining a new Caterpillar diesel generator for the police department so when the power goes out, the police and fire dispatch will never be without power as in the past. The system is eventually supposed to connect the entire state together as a statewide law enforcement network.  Hopefully when a disaster strikes, whether it is weather related or otherwise, Edinburgh will be ready with a radio system capable of communicating with multiple agencies unlike in the past where we were unable to talk to other agencies because of a frequency barrier.