Chet Edwards For Congress

December 28, 2007
Chet Edwards secures $376,000 for local police

Navasota Examiner

Congressman Chet Edwards announced that he secured $376,000 to help the Navasota Police Department upgrade their communications and computer systems under the final 2008 Appropriations Bill, which passed the House late Monday, the Senate Tuesday, and is expected to be signed into law by the President.

"I believe we have a deep obligation to protect our families from criminals and to support our law enforcement officers who put themselves at risk to protect our communities. This new equipment will help keep our officers safe while they work to protect our families, and I want to congratulate Mayor Bert Miller, Police Chief Shawn Myatt, and local law enforcement for their strong leadership in this effort," said Edwards, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Specifically, the $376,000 secured by Edwards will fund a communications technology and enhancement project. This project will include the addition of 15 mobile radios to be installed in police patrol vehicles to upgrade the departments' communications system. The funding secured by Edwards will replace the existing Navasota Police Department repeater system, which is a vital part of the day-to-day communications between officers, other agencies, and dispatchers. It will provide replacement software for dispatch and report writing that is outdated. The new software will enhance the operations of the Department by providing technology that is more user-friendly with added security.

“The bottom line is that law enforcement officers will be able to respond more quickly to emergency calls with the information they need to protect local citizens. In the case of potentially dangerous suspects, this could mean the difference between life and death for officers and the law-abiding citizens they are protecting," said Edwards.

In 2005, Edwards secured $400,000 for the Grimes County Sheriff's Department to update technology in their patrol cars.