Police to improve radio equipment

During the Thermopolis Town Council’s Oct. 15 meeting, it was announced that the Thermopolis Police Department has received a U.S. Department of Homeland Security State Homeland Security Program Grant in the amount of $17,600.94. The money has been designated for the purchase of P-25 compliant mobile and portable radios, installation and allowable accessories.

Police Chief Julie Mathews said the current radios the department is using are quite old, and they are key in arranging emergency preparedness and activity management. The new devices will have the capability of receiving both analog and digital signal. While the department still operates on WyoLink, she explained, they still have the repeater here in case that system goes down.

WyoLink is a radio communications network used across the state and allows for our dispatch center to speak to other agencies such as Wyoming Highway Patrol. Mathews also noted they can combine certain channels together with certain agencies in case of a mass emergency.

“So if there’s an airplane crash on top of Boysen Peak, we will be able to talk to BIA, Fremont County, us, all on one channel. And we can set that up through dispatch, but haven’t really had to.”

The grant money will provide for two mobile units for the department’s new patrol vehicles, Mathews said, and they may also get two newer portable units. Any additional monies will go to items such as batteries and microphones.

The new units will also have encryption. Mathews said in what is referred to as “scanner land,” people can monitor what officers are doing. “If we go to an encrypted channel,” she said, “if we want to serve a search warrant on a house and encrypt [radio traffic], we can talk to each other and hear each other. But, those in scanner land can’t call neighbors and say ‘Hey, I think the cops are coming to do a search warrant on your house.’ That’s where encryption come in.”

Mathews said they asked for a lot more, but are certainly happy with the money they received. She plans to go after the grant funds again next year and work to keep the department up-to-date in regard to technology capabilities. “As we get new patrol vehicles, it’s nice to have new equipment to go with them and start updating our portables.”