Eagle Pass police seek CAD/RMS upgrade, finished office space and new vehicles as department grows

Chief Amy Gonzalez presented a package of public-safety technology and facility requests at the CIP town hall, saying the department’s computer-aided dispatch/reporting system purchased in 2009 is beyond typical service life and limits real-time data sharing and mapping.

"The current system is outdated obviously since 2009," Gonzalez said. She recommended migrating to a Motorola Flex RMS/CAD to improve data accuracy, mapping/GPS resolution and interagency reporting; she said accurate data is critical for grant applications and prosecutions.

Gonzalez also outlined operational needs: finishing an unfinished area at the back of the department’s building to provide additional offices and victim-interview spaces; replacing an outdated animal-control shelter (the current facility dates to the 1990s) and acquiring two pickup-style animal-control vehicles with kennels for towing and trapping operations; installing shading for patrol-unit parking to protect equipment and improve prisoner transport conditions; and procuring two fully equipped patrol vehicles to bolster the fleet.

She said staff have pursued grant funds (Operation Stone Garden and similar programs were discussed), but cautioned that recurring maintenance and licensing costs for systems must be budgeted should grants cover initial purchases. For the CAD upgrade, Gonzalez noted prior regional CIS arrangements ended when funding stopped and said the department aims to build toward a countywide dispatch model if feasible.

Next steps: the requests are on the CIP list for public ranking and staff will pursue grant opportunities and evaluate lifecycle costs and interoperability before advancing proposals to Planning & Zoning and City Council.