Abstract
Routine police work requires effective coordination and communication with other police agencies, fire departments, emergency medical services, and public service organizations. High-profile incidents such as bombings, plane crashes, and natural disaster, test the ability of public safety and public service organizations to mount a well-coordinated response. Interoperability, the ability of different agencies to communicate across jurisdictions with each other, often mount a well-coordinated response often depends on wireless radio communications systems.
Introduction
Interoperability is common, with 82 percent of agencies having at least one channel dedicated solely for use with other organizations. Though most agencies are confident of their ability to handle routine situations, many law enforcement agencies experience serious obstacles, particularly when trying to communicate with agencies beyond their local network or operating in different frequency bands.
Telecommunication infrastructure
Mobile radios, whether handheld or vehicle-mounted, are basic law enforcement communications equipment. State agencies and sheriff’s departments are more likely to use citizens band and amateur radios, but agencies of all sizes and types use cellular phones and pagers. The sharing of frequencies and/or infrastructure (e.g., transmitters and repeaters) is very common, and most agencies that share radio systems remain involved in making decisions related to their system.
Land mobile radio (LMR) technology
Most agencies have conventional analog systems and operate in high VHF bands, but information from agencies that were planning to replace or upgrade their systems within 10 years, 46 percent of the total, indicated several trends: the number of agencies operating in 800 MHz5 will more than double, growing from 23 to 51 percent; the number of agencies using digital systems will increase from 13 to 25 percent; and the number using trunked systems will increase from 24 to 27 percent. Large agencies are most likely to use trunking—the technology that allows more efficient use.........
