ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – In the City of Abilene’s media briefing Monday morning, major projects were discussed, including pricey updates for the Abilene Police Department and Dyess Air Force Base. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the December 1 Abilene City Council meeting.
As revealed in Monday morning’s city briefing, the Abilene Police Department (APD) is potentially getting major upgrades, including new tasers and a mobile command center.
“Often times, when we’re working critical incidents; SWAT calls, homicides… Our folks are often times working outside or on the hood of their car to be able to finish their job,” APD Chief Marcus Dudley said.
Chief Dudley told KTAB/KRBC having a mobile command center is invaluable based on the many needs he has seen in Abilene, from the roughly 12 SWAT calls they receive a year, to the many public events they monitor.
“I can think of at least 60 different occasions where we could have deployed the mobile command center,” Chief Dudley explained. “Think about the nearly 30 traffic fatalities we’ve seen, or the city parades we patrol. There’s several instances in which it could be used.”
The mobile command center will be custom manufactured and tailored to Abilene’s specific needs, Chief Dudley said, and should arrive within 18 months.
“Laptops can be set up in certain sections, because the deal rolls out and expands to allow for more space conference room tables for us to be able to set up where resources are actually going to be located on a scene. You know, these are all things that you know allows us to be able to do intelligence LED policing in a constitutional policing manner in the 21st century,” illustrated Chief Dudley.
The total price of the purchase is $615,879, but the full payment won’t be due until net 30-days after its completion and delivery.
APD said it is also purchasing 220 Axon Taser 7’s after the previous model, Axon Taser X2 and warranty reached their expiration. The new taser purchase will include 220 Axon Taser handles and holsters, 264 battery packs and three docking stations.
The total cost for this purchase is $747,098, but will be split evenly over five years from Police Apparatus Funds at $148,869.60 per year, plus a one-time professional services fee of $2,750.
Across town, Dyess Air Force Base will be getting upgrades, as well, receiving 5G Fiber Optic expansion to eight facilities on base.
The City of Abilene was awarded a Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG), accepting the grant on June 9 of this year.
The City of Abilene has worked directly with Dyess Air Force Base to complete the design of a project to increase the network resource resiliency for base networks, according to documents presented before the council.
These funds will pay for the entirety of the $455,885.27 project received by Mission Critical Solutions of Tampa.
Other items being discussed will be re-purposing the Abilene Hotel on East Highway 80 for potential multi-family apartments or use as a hotel, as well as a final reading on abandoning Simmons Avenue near Hardin-Simmons University.
Click here to read the full documentation and list of agenda items being presented in Thursday’s Abilene City Council meeting.
