Grant to give Amherst cops 21 computers

By Carrie J. Sidener

Published: October 10, 2008

A grant will give the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office the money it needs to install computers in all its patrol and investigation vehicles.

The sheriff’s office currently has only eight computers in its fleet, assigned to four supervisors and four patrol deputies, said Lt. Greg Turner. The grant will allow the sheriff’s office to buy 21 more terminals, fully outfitting all the cars used in patrol and investigations.

The Department of Justice grant totals $186,000 and builds on a grant received in 2005 for the initial infrastructure and computers. Also the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services gave two grants totaling $70,104 for technology improvements for the project.

The only cars that aren’t covered in the grant funding are prison transportation and school resource officers.  Turner said the sheriff’s office hopes to outfit those vehicles in coming years.

The computers allow deputies to access records in the county’s dispatch system, the National Crime Information Center and the Virginia Crime Information Center, giving instant access to information wanted status, driver’s license status and vehicle registration information.

The computers also allow dispatchers to transmit sensitive information to deputies without broadcasting it over the radios, as well as giving deputies the ability to file reports from the field.

“This will truly bring our in-car technology into the 21st century in terms of information available to the officers in their vehicles,” said Capt. M.G. Robinson.

Turner said Congressman Bob Goodlatte helped the sheriff’s office secure the grants to finish this project.

“Our sheriff’s deputies are often the first responders in any number of different emergency situations,” Goodlatte said in a press release. “The work that they do on the front lines is invaluable and I am confident that this money will significantly improve the safety of these courageous men and women, as well as the services which they provide to the community.”