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Three Oaks police seek Council guidance on CAD; radar sign plan faces utility-meter requirement
Summary
Chief Krause sought guidance on adopting a Computer Aided Dispatch system with startup costs estimated at $1,100–$1,834 per user and annual fees; the committee also discussed a planned speed radar sign but AEP requested a meter socket and meter, raising ongoing service-cost questions.
Chief Krause told the committee April 4 that a committee had been exploring Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) so officers could view the same screens as Dispatch and access call notes that may not be timely over the radio. "I am interested in CAD, and I am looking for guidance from Council," Krause said.
Krause summarized estimates showing startup costs per user in the roughly $1,100 to $1,834 range, with ongoing fees of about $297 per user annually. Committee members said they were waiting to see whether county commissioners or Tribal police would contribute funding; Benton Harbor was pursuing a grant. The committee did not take a formal vote and deferred final guidance because there was no quorum.
Krause also said he and Dan have been talking with AEP about powering a new speed radar sign. AEP is asking the village to install a meter socket and meter for hardwired power — Faulkner said that would likely add roughly $80 per month in service costs — and staff identified a location on the east side just past West Indiana Street as a good site for the sign. Resident Mike Holfels asked whether the village would provide full-time weekend police coverage; Faulkner said scheduling is handled in-house and kept private for safety. Krause said once Officer Mulder completes field training, coverage will increase but there will not necessarily be a dedicated full-time officer assigned to every weekend.
Council member Flint urged the committee to "empower the Chief to manage his own department," emphasizing operational discretion for staffing and deployment decisions. The committee recorded these discussions for follow-up at the full Council meeting.
