MOUNT VERNON — Saying he wanted to “clear the air,” Danville Police Chief Dan Weckesser met Thursday with the county commissioners about the CAD system (Computer Aided Dispatch) that monitors 911 calls.
“I’m fed up with the countywide reporting system being such an issue,” he told the commissioners. “Would you be willing to pay for the system?”
The issue was mentioned during Tuesday’s Knox Pages’ Meet the Candidates Q&A.
CAD software tracks information about 911 calls. It maps the caller’s location and shows which safety or law enforcement units are nearest to respond. It also stores notes relating to the current and previous situations.
Weckesser said the system the Danville Police Department uses is great but acknowledged the county and Danville systems cannot communicate.
“If the commissioners are willing, I am willing,” he told the commissioners about joining the CAD system.
“It will be more expensive now, but we will find funds for Danville to come on if Danville can find the funds for annual maintenance,” Commissioner Thom Collier said.
The current cost is $27,000.
“Village council would have to make that request since they were the ones who turned it down,” Commissioner Bill Pursel said. “If everyone is not all on the same system, it endangers officer safety.”
“Officer safety is my Number 1 priority,” Weckesser said.
He will bring the issue up with Danville’s council.
Several years ago, Knox County Sheriff Capt. Jay Sheffer got a grant to pay for Fredericktown and Danville to join the county’s CAD system.
The grant covered the software, training, and first year of maintenance. The departments were to assume maintenance costs after that.
Fredericktown joined; Danville did not.
Weckesser said Danville Village Council declined the offer because it could not afford the annual maintenance of $2,200. The commissioners said council turned it down on Weckesser’s recommendation.
Weckesser said he favored joining but was concerned about the software’s security. Information had been given out that compromised some investigations.
He noted that the current Zurcher software can protect such information.
