Cabinet Approves Contract to Improve Police Telecoms System

Cabinet has approved a contract for the upgrading and expansion of the police telecommunications system that will greatly improve the handling of the 119 emergency calls.

“The telephone infrastructure that supports 119 is being upgraded to provide the public with an improved quality of service. The upgraded system will provide the supervisors with enhanced capabilities to monitor agents in real time on a call,” Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting, has said.

Making his contribution to the 2015/16 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on April 29, Mr. Bunting also noted that the wider Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) telephone data communication infrastructure will also be enhanced.

“Currently, the JCF’s cost of making calls across the organisation is not optimised. The new system will enable the linking of many police stations to the system, using voice over Internet protocol,” he explained.

Mr. Bunting pointed out that the hybrid digital/analogue push-to-talk mobile radio system that went into operation in 2007 has been recently replaced by a fully digital system. He noted that the new system is based on the open P25 standard for push-to-talk systems.

The Minister said the new system adds significant capabilities, such as: sending text and data from the handset; tracking vehicles and personnel using Global Positioning System (GPS) enabled handsets or vehicle mounted radios; and facilitating use by other essential services, such as the Jamaica Defence Force, Department of Correctional Services and the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).