Peoria police ask city leaders to replace slow mobile data computers after $400,000 productivity estimate

The Peoria Police Department asked the mayor and Peoria City Council a few weeks ago to approve replacement of its mobile data computers, citing officer reports that delay in logging on has slowed patrol work and cost the department roughly $400,000 in lost productivity, Police Chief, Peoria Police Department, said.

The chief described mobile data computers, known as MDCs, as “our lifeline for the work that we do each and every day,” saying officers use them to gather incident intelligence, identify vehicles and write reports. “It took them over 30 minutes just to log on to duty,” the chief said, and the department’s calculation — using a 48‑week work year to account for leave — produced the estimate of “almost a $400,000 loss in productivity.”

The request to replace the MDCs also responds to the department’s integration with the Real Time Crime Center, or RTCC, which shares live data and visuals with officers on patrol. The chief said older MDCs struggled to handle that data flow: “there would be a delay on the visual side, sometimes the information side because those MDCs weren't capable of handling that kind of data flow.” He added that upgraded MDCs will be assigned to individual employees rather than to vehicles so profiles and repairs can be managed faster and log‑ons will “be able to log on within seconds.”

Previously, the department assigned MDCs to vehicles; under the proposed plan the devices would be assigned to personnel, the chief said. The chief told the interviewer the change would increase accountability and speed repairs if a device fails. The transcript does not specify how many MDCs would be replaced or a timeline for deployment.

When the chief presented the issue to the mayor and city council, he said their response was supportive. The transcript records his thanks to the mayor and council for recognizing the importance of modern technology for policing but does not record a formal vote or appropriation.

Discussion (as recorded) distinguished problems, proposed changes and expected operational benefits: officers’ reports of slow login times; a department estimate of lost productivity; a plan to assign devices to individuals; and an expected improvement in handling RTCC data. The interview did not include budget figures beyond the department's productivity estimate, a specific procurement timeline, or names of council members who spoke to the request.

City residents and officers seeking updates on funding or rollout should look for future Peoria City Council agenda items or communications from the Peoria Police Department for formal action and implementation details.