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Centreville police warn aging laptops hamper field work; estimate $70,000 upgrade for 15 vehicle units
Summary
The police chief told the council officers' computers are outdated and incompatible with required Windows 11 security, limiting in‑car access to data; staff estimated about $70,000 for roughly 15 new vehicle laptops and said grant options are being investigated.
The Centreville police department informed the town council on 01/22/2026 that many of the department's laptops and in‑vehicle computers are outdated, cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 and therefore hinder officers' ability to run required data and connect to county networks.
Unidentified Speaker 10 (police) said the department needs approximately 15 vehicle laptops and that preliminary quotes put the upgrade near $70,000. "It's gonna be close to a $70,000 upgrade," he said. He told the council the state will not allow officers to run certain data connections on devices that lack required security patches.
The chief said the department has worked with Queen Anne County IT and is considering aligning equipment with county-standard devices (referred to as GTAC models) to ease maintenance and interoperability. He also said the town's grant writer (Tanya Wright) is researching potential state funding and grants to offset costs.
Council members expressed support and asked staff for recommendations; the town manager and finance staff will evaluate options and possible timing for budget inclusion. No appropriation was requested or approved at this meeting.
Next steps: staff will return with formal cost estimates and grant/finance recommendations for council consideration during the budget process.
