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Southaven police dept. gets $841,000 DOJ grant
By CYNTHIA BULLION/Times News Staff
SOUTHAVEN - An $841,770 Department of Justice grant has been awarded to the Southaven Police Department to continue developing a county-wide law enforcement database.
"This grant brings the total amount awarded to over $1.8 million for our police department's technology project," Southaven Mayor Greg Davis said. "This is a substantial award and a very substantial project."
Southaven Police Chief Tom Long said his department has been coordinating the project for about three years, previously receiving similar grants for the database's development.
"The whole purpose (of the project) is for interoperability," he said. "We can talk on radios now but want to create a program so we can access each other's databases."
For example, the ideal program would allow an officer in Southaven to check if there are outstanding arrest warrants for a suspect in another DeSoto County jurisdiction, Long said.
Currently, dispatchers must contact other agencies and request for information - that also could include a person's criminal history and stolen vehicle or missing persons reports - from their database.
Money from the recently announced grant, awarded through the justice department's COPS program, will first be used to "work out some bugs" in the SMARTCOP system that features GIS, computer aided dispatch technology and other advanced technological measures.
Funds also will cover licensing costs and, ultimately, go toward purchasing equipment and implementing the program countywide, Long said.
"This is not Southaven's baby," he said. "We are just the coordinator. The grant is a gift to all jurisdictions in the county."
Cynthia Bullion can be reached at cbullion@desototimes.com or 429-6397.
"This grant brings the total amount awarded to over $1.8 million for our police department's technology project," Southaven Mayor Greg Davis said. "This is a substantial award and a very substantial project."
Southaven Police Chief Tom Long said his department has been coordinating the project for about three years, previously receiving similar grants for the database's development.
"The whole purpose (of the project) is for interoperability," he said. "We can talk on radios now but want to create a program so we can access each other's databases."
For example, the ideal program would allow an officer in Southaven to check if there are outstanding arrest warrants for a suspect in another DeSoto County jurisdiction, Long said.
Currently, dispatchers must contact other agencies and request for information - that also could include a person's criminal history and stolen vehicle or missing persons reports - from their database.
Money from the recently announced grant, awarded through the justice department's COPS program, will first be used to "work out some bugs" in the SMARTCOP system that features GIS, computer aided dispatch technology and other advanced technological measures.
Funds also will cover licensing costs and, ultimately, go toward purchasing equipment and implementing the program countywide, Long said.
"This is not Southaven's baby," he said. "We are just the coordinator. The grant is a gift to all jurisdictions in the county."
Cynthia Bullion can be reached at cbullion@desototimes.com or 429-6397.
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