Digital Radio Upgrade Saves Lansdale Police $30K

Lansdale Police will be saving about $30,000 when it upgrades to new digital radios in 2014, thanks to a negotiation made between Motorola and Montgomery County.

Lansdale Police are poised to buy 30 handheld radios and 10 mobile radios for its vehicles, for anywhere between $4,000 to $4,500 each. 

Lansdale Police Chief Robert McDyre said the new estimated department cost of around $170,000 is about $30,000 cheaper than first estimated. He said that was made possible via a deal between provider Motorola and the county.

At one time, Motorola was edging closer to $7,000 a unit, he said.

"The good news in it is (the county) was able to negotiate a great price with Motorola where prices are frozen back in tme. It will be a little cheaper," McDyre said.

McDyre also said Montgomery County is willing to finance the radios at zero percent and absorb administrative costs. 

"That's a good deal," he said.

McDyre said the county will flip the switch on its new digital system by mid-2014.

"By the first quarter 2014, we will buy the equipment and be ready to go," he said.  

The problem in the high costs came from a supply and demand issue, he said.

"The longer we waited, everybody in the country was going to Motorola," he said. "The supply was short."  

In his chairman's committee report to council this month, Councilman Mike Sobel said all emergency services will have to switch over to the new county digital system in 2014.

"The county made the decision to go to digital and emergency services have to convert to these, or they will not be able to speak to anybody. The radios we have will be obsolete," Sobel said.

 Sobel said the deal is a "pretty expensive proposition."

"Four-thousand a piece is not bad, considering what we had anticipated in escalation of prices," he said. "It's a good time to do it. The deal looks good, and it's a good upgrade with better equipment."