Police computer software program, not working and out dated

One of the items of discussion at the June City Council meeting last Monday, June 5, was a computer software program called SMART. It had been installed several years ago in the Portageville Police Department. This program is used in making their incident reports.

The problem is, it only works on one computer, the same one that the dispatcher uses. This has created a problem for the police department and their dispatching services. When the officer needs to write a report, they need to wait until the dispatcher can step away from her post.

The SMART had been installed in all of the police station computers. However, one computer crashed and lighting destroyed the other one.

Last year, it was approved for the police department to purchase two new computers and a server from Hi Tech Communications. Randy guest from Hi Tech was called to add the SMART software into the computers, that's when the problems began. The program was too old for the new hardware and come to find out the SMART program is no longer available, and the company that made it has been bought out.

It was also discovered that upon the purchase agreement, the city agreed to pay a service agreement to the amount of $3700 annually. Also, the company the city had paid a $3,000 fee for upgrades the City never received, and was not aware of the lack of upgrades until research into the software company had been made. The city attorney plans to get a copy of the contract and pursue the software company about getting the money back.

With the software issue at hand, Police Chief Ronnie Adams, Captain Freddie Hill and officer Bruce Cronan approached the council with two different software programs.

One proposal was for the Lotus Notes with a cost of $27,000 and a $7,000 service management fee. The other was the Sheriff's Office Management System (SOMS) for about $12,000 and $1,500 service maintenance fee. The board voted to purchase the SOMS software.

After the initial installment and the computers in place, there will have to be some training for all dispatchers and officers. Cronan say it may be 30-60 days before full implementation is complete.

The police department is seeking to sell the older Crown Vic, and are looking for bids in selling it.

At the April meeting, the Council saw a presentation on the Infiltration and Inflow Study that was recently completed. Based on that study, Alderwoman Doering recommend that the City begin looking into a plan of attack to help keep the sewer lines cleaned out. The Council has ask Scott Patterson to be a consultant and help to plan a way of doing that.

Patterson told the council that the collection system will be maintained by the wastewater personal with the City of Portageville. Any repairs by contractors must be approved by the Board of Alderman prior to work. The first section to begin this city-wide project is in the Brown Acres area and the Adams Parks neighborhood.

One of the items that will need to be purchased to do this is a sewer camera for reviewing pipe and manhole conditions. Other functions of the project include clean out debris, check pumps, check condition of pump panels and warning devices.

Any Patterson also noted it may take manpower to complete year on has been estimated at 10 man hours per week. Two personnel five hours per week until September 2017 and the project to start July 1, 2017.

Patterson ask the City Council to purchase the sewer camera to begin the work. The costs would be between $2500 and $3500. After hearing other reports and passing of the monthly bills, a motion was made to go into a closed session. They plan on having a mid-month meeting on Monday, June 19.