Radio towers to
help Big Island police
HILO >> Hawaii County is spending more than $10 million to replace many of the 19 relay towers providing radio service for the Big Island Police Department and other agencies.
Bill Asselborn, of Scientel America, the Chicago-based contractor for the project, said the new towers will be taller to increase the network's reliability.
The towers are equipped with dishes that transmit signals from one tower to another. Many also have antennas for portable two-way radios carried by police, firefighters and personnel of other agencies.
While the tower network will be converted from analog to digital technology, the radio equipment will remain analog.
Police officials would like to upgrade to a digital radio system, which would allow the use of computers in patrol cars to access records and other information.
But police Chief Lawrence Mahuna said the county has been unable to come up with the estimated $25 million it would cost.