Police officers have access to various types of technology that helps them with their investigations, which is good. But all that technology brings with it its own challenges.
“We have a lot of computers, servers and a lot of electronics,” said Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow. Some are connected to federal databases; others are connected to state or local databases. Then there’s the cloud-based systems versus those that rely on servers to run properly and store information.
“We’ve limped through information technology for quite some time now,” Barrow said on Monday’s TownTalk.
But at their March meeting, the Henderson City Council approved a request from Barrow that will take steps at addressing the need to keep all that computer equipment in the “asset” category and not in the “liability” category.
City staff recommend using funds allocated in the budget for one parking enforcement officer ($31,200) and one police officer ($51,330) and create a new position called Police Information Technology Specialist, with a salary range of $63,915 and $95,871. The city currently has 10 vacant sworn officer positions and one vacant parking enforcement position.
“We’re outfitting these officers with the best technology available,” Barrow said, and it’s critical to have someone with experience manage it than someone who’s just learning about its capabilities.
“We’ve got to have a professional do it,” he said.