MERRILLVILLE — Unexpected capital expenses can put a strain on any budget, but thanks to the assistance of U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, the Merrillville Police Department secured nearly $1 million in federal Community Project Funding to upgrade vital radio equipment.
Police Chief Kosta Nuses said the department’s former radios were well past their service life, and repair bills were becoming costly. He said the department began pricing new radios after learning the devices would become obsolete as Lake County Emergency Communications would eventually be operating on a different frequency.
“This is where the panic kicked in,” Nuses said. “We quickly found out how expensive the replacement radios were going to be. Each handheld radio was going to cost somewhere between $11,000 and $12,000 depending on the package we got. For a department that operates on an extremely limited budget, these expenses of purchasing new radios were not just burdensome, they were impossible.” Fortunately, Mrvan’s office informed the town of a grant opportunity through the Community Project Funding, Town Council President Rick Bella said. After applying for the grant, Mrvan successfully fought for the town to obtain the federal dollars. “
We are truly honored and humbled to have been selected as one of 15 projects to receive this funding,” Bella said. “This grant of $963,000 will allow us to purchase state-of-the-art emergency communication equipment for our Merrillville Police Department, ensuring that our officers have the tools to protect and serve the community efficiently and safely.”
Mrvan said the community will be safer because of the new equipment.
“Congratulations to the Merrillville Police Department and all the leaders of the Town of Merrillville for your successful efforts to secure this federal funding to support law enforcement officers,” Mrvan said. “Our brave first responders go to work each day in service of our region, and we must ensure they have the technology and equipment they need to keep themselves and our communities safe.”
Merrillville Operations Commander Matthew Paunicka described the new equipment as smartphones wrapped in a radio. He said they provide many advantages over the previous equipment, including live GPS tracking. This function allows officers to see exactly where other officers are in real time. The new radios also provide the ability to send information and images directly through the radios.
“These capabilities will greatly enhance our strategic operations and improve our response times, ensuring that we can serve our community more effectively,” Nuses said.
Town Manager Michael Griffin agrees the radios are an essential tool for officers, and he thanked Mrvan for his efforts to improve safety in The Heart of the Region.
“It allows them to do their job in such a way that they can quickly notify us,” Griffin said. “Comforting a parent whose child was lost and then was discovered, to intercept a speeder who is just not recognizing the siren or the lights, and to even catch an offender who might be fleeing the jurisdiction. It makes them able to communicate with each other all the better so they can serve us all the better, both safely and effectively.”