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Police chief proposes mobile-computing rollout to keep officers in parks longer
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Summary
The police chief asked council to approve a roughly $35,000 software and mobile-computer purchase so officers can complete reports in patrol cars and increase park presence; he said the department will reconfigure shifts to sustain coverage and council gave consensus to proceed using available one-time funds.
Oroville Police Chief (speaker 9) told the council a modest technology purchase would allow officers to complete reports in the field and reduce the need to return to the station, increasing visible presence in parks without a permanent staffing increase.
The chief said a software package and a few mobile computers would cost about $35,000 and that staff identified one-time funds in existing accounts to pay for the one-time purchase. "What that allows us to do is keep our officers in the field," he said, adding that the department has planned a downtown rotating patrol team (a sergeant, officer and MLE officer) to cover parks and other high-priority areas.
Council members pressed on sustainability and whether the program requires ongoing funding; the chief said the initiative is part of a broader shift in patrol scheduling and that the department expects to absorb any recurring maintenance costs within existing budget lines, while inviting contributions from other departments that might piggyback on the purchase.
Council gave consensus direction to proceed with the purchase and directed staff to monitor performance outcomes after deployment.
