Effective police work is hard enough without giving officers all the tools of the trade. That reality is felt within the Kaua’i Police Department, with only 12 portable two-way radios for the 72 patrol officers to share. There’s a financial
Effective police work is hard enough without giving officers all the tools of
the trade. That reality is felt within the Kaua’i Police Department, with only
12 portable two-way radios for the 72 patrol officers to share.
There’s a
financial issue here. The radios cost $2,546 apiece. The bill for buying enough
so each officer had one would add up to more than $200,000. That’s a lot of
money for this island.
But, in the absence of an immediate infusion of
funds from other sources, the business community is trying to fill the need.
Through Adopt-a-Cop, a program organized by chiropractor Gregory Smith and his
brother, police officer Shawn Smith, donations are being sought to pay for 60
more portable radios. The goal is to give the police up-to-date communications
for when they’re on the front line of law enforcement.
The public stands to
gain increased police effectiveness from the business community of Kaua’i
demonstrating its commitment to making the island as safe a place as
possible.
