Charlottetown police to switch to province-wide radio system
Officers will be able to communicate more quickly with other forces, including RCMP
Charlottetown police will soon be using a new radio system, which will allow officers to easily communicate with other forces on the Island.
Charlottetown city council passed a motion Monday night to enter an agreement with the province to use the Provincial Integrated Communications System (PICS2). The agreement is set to begin in April.
"This helps our police department talk to other agencies in a time of crisis, and I think it's a positive move forward," said protective and emergency services committee chair Coun. Bob Doiron.
'Very important seconds'
Doiron explained that the province has asked all police forces on the Island to join the same radio communication system, and he said he understands the benefits.
In times of crisis, he said it's important that police forces can easily and quickly communicate with one another. He pointed to the 2014 shootings in Moncton, N.B., as an example.
"They don't have time to dispatch different agencies. They can just click their radio and talk to the RCMP or a different municipality for help," Doiron said.
"This is time crucial. These are very important seconds that you may need to save a life, and to call in backup, or someone in to help you. So this is a big, big development for our police officers."
Lengthy debate
But the fact that the province is asking all Island forces to join the same radio system had some councillors questions whether council truly had a choice.
"If we're mandated, we have no choice in the matter, why are we passing a resolution?" asked Coun. Mitch Tweel during the meeting.
CAO Peter Kelly described the ask, at this point, as a "gentle persuasion," rather than a mandate.
There were also concerns raised about the cost of changing to a new system.
The province will pay for the upfront capital costs, Doiron said — a total of about $360,000 — but the change will mean additional operating costs for city police, estimated at about $75,000 more per year.
Doiron said he understands the concerns about the price, but ultimately he believes the city and the province have worked out a good deal.
"We both want what's best for our officers, and the safety of our citizens," he said.
While Couns. Tweel, Terry Bernard and Terry MacLeod all raised conerns about the resolution, in the end, Tweel was the one to vote against it.