BREAKING: Mesa County commissioners have just approved a significant contract worth up to $764,134.45 to enhance technology for field employees. This urgent upgrade will provide 120 new computers, crucial for various county departments, including the sheriff’s office and engineering divisions.
The decision was made to address the pressing need for modernized equipment that supports deputies and other field staff. The current tablets, now five years old, have become outdated, struggling to keep pace with the demands of the digital age.
Eric Sperber, operations patrol captain at the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, emphasized the vital need for this upgrade, stating, “Our existing tablets are a little bit slow when you get into this digital age of a lot of body-worn camera videos.” The new devices will feature 5G capability and attached keyboards, significantly enhancing connectivity and efficiency.
The urgency of this upgrade becomes clear as Sperber highlights the decline in service coverage experienced by field workers: “Over the course of the last probably two years, we’ve kind of noticed a decline in our service coverage outside moving around in the field.” The transition to 5G technology will provide improved bandwidth, allowing for better communication and quicker access to critical information.
These upgrades are set to streamline operations for field workers, enabling them to connect to dispatch, access notes, and view footage from body cameras and drones more effectively. Sperber noted, “It really serves our community well. We’re able to do our job a lot faster, streamline things, looking for people who may have victimized citizens in our community.”
The project timeline indicates that it will take approximately two months for the vendor to build and configure the equipment, followed by an additional three to four weeks for installation. While the exact implementation date remains unconfirmed, officials from the sheriff’s office are actively sorting out logistics.
This substantial investment not only reflects the county’s commitment to improving public safety but also addresses the technological needs of its employees in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. As this story develops, stay tuned for updates on the rollout of these critical upgrades that promise to enhance community safety and operational efficiency in Mesa County.
This initiative is a crucial step towards ensuring that the dedicated personnel serving the community are equipped with the best tools available, ultimately benefiting all residents in the area.
