OPPJ consider reimbursement for 911 technology upgrade

Monroe Police Chief Quentin Holmes made a plea to the Ouachita Parish Police Jury Monday night to increase reimbursement for new 911 technology being purchased by local agencies.

Holmes, who spoke on behalf of the 911 advisory board, said the cost for the technology was underestimated.

"Initially, we thought that $500,000 would be sufficient, ... but it's going to be more than that," he said. "What we wanted to do was come back with one last plea to ask y'all to consider raising the cap to $700,000."

Craig Lott, Ouachita Parish 911 coordinator, said the technology has been mostly implemented.

"(It's) mobile computers that give them information about the places they're responding to," Lott said. "It's a computer-aided dispatch system. All the other agencies have bought different modules that help keep up with their records, and all work with the system. Everything is similar, and if incidents go into different jurisdictions, the information can pass along with it."

The computers give first responders a digital readout of the situation they're responding to, provide maps and provide tracking for 911 dispatchers so they can see where the responders are in relation to the scene.

Police Jury President Scotty Robinson asked to table the increase until the next meeting because the jury hadn't had the appropriate amount of time to review the information.

Lott said the technology was an upgrade over the old system with responders now having the information in front of them, as opposed to hearing it over a radio. The upgrade also puts all the agencies on the same system.

The jury approved a road lighting district for units 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14 in Frenchman's Bend. Those residents will have the opportunity to vote on adding lights to their district in the Nov. 21 election.

The jury approved a resolution to request the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to consider measures to improve the flow of traffic at the intersection of Louisiana 134 and Frenchman's Bend Road.

"There's basically one entrance and exit into Frenchman's Bend," Juror Walt Caldwell said. "In the mornings you can have a pretty severe traffic backup (because of the elementary school)."

Juror Ollibeth Reddix issued a proclamation in honor of Tali Campbell, a young girl who wrote a children's book when she was 6. The proclamation commended her for authoring "Don't 'Bee' Scared."

The jury's next meeting is July 20.

Follow @Kaleb_Causey on Twitter.