The Westminster Common Council has approved a $205,680 expenditure for a planned 800-megahertz radio communication system for the Police Department.

The money will be used for engineering, design, training, programming and construction of a communications center and a computer-aided dispatch system that is necessary to keep up with the county and state systems, Chief Sam R. Leppo said.

The cost of the new system will be spread over five years, with the city making 60 monthly payments of $3,646. The equipment will be purchased from Motorola Communications and Electronics Inc. of Hanover.

Once the system is in place, dispatchers won't lose contact with personnel in the field because of numerous "dead spots" that interrupt communications on the current low-band system, Leppo said.

Pub Date: 10/02/98