Grant approved for equipment in patrol cars

DPW, correctional facility awarded

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009

Many of the sheriff's office patrol cars already have similar equipment.

The board held a public hearing on the grant, which came through the technology program of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), but no citizens signed up to speak.

There is no fiscal impact to the county because it is not required to match the federal funds.

"Having real-time crime data in the field will allow personnel to interact and communicate with community members more effectively and efficiently, while maintaining deputies' personal safety," Lt. Col. Thomas Hejl, assistant sheriff, wrote in a memo to the commissioners.

"The use of mobile data terminals encourages instantaneous communications among our deputies, as a result of sharing information throughout our Department, and where appropriate, with community members."

Hejl told the commissioners that the additional video cameras, in addition to providing video evidence of crimes such as DUIs, help protect deputies from false misconduct accusations. Complaints against deputies are typically dropped once citizens view the altercations on video, Hejl said.

The commissioners also congratulated the Department of Public Works and Calvert County Correctional Facility, both of which recently received state-level awards.

Director of Public Works Terry Carlson received, on behalf of the county, two "County Project of the Year" awards from the County Engineers Association of Maryland for both the Lusby Southern Connector Boulevard and Solomons Island Roundabout project.

A three-year audit of the correctional facility, during which over 200 criteria were examined, recently ended.

Chairman of the Maryland Commission on Correctional Standards Walter Ridely presented the facility with an award for achieving perfect compliance with all of the audit's standards.

jnewman@somdnews.com