NCJ Number
189294
Journal
Sheriff Volume: 53 Issue: 4 Dated: July-August 2001 Pages: 10-11,51
Date Published
July 2001
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses communications interoperability among law enforcement and other public safety agencies.
Abstract
Recent critical incidents such as the Columbine school shootings and the Oklahoma City bombing illustrate some of the tactical challenges that result when different law enforcement agencies cannot communicate by radio. Obstacles to interoperability include the tendency of public safety agencies to rely on stand-alone communications systems that are not designed to interface with other systems. Compounding the problems of disparate communications systems is the lack of radio spectrum available for public safety use. The Public Safety Wireless Network (PSWN) Program, a joint effort sponsored by the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury, was created to foster interoperability among local, State, and Federal safety agencies by helping to develop technical standards for communications systems, promoting partnerships and coordination among agencies, and serving as a clearinghouse for information. The PSWN Program is working to establish an executive-level public safety communication interoperability council in each State, and is developing a Public Safety Wireless Interoperability National Strategy.