SACRAMENTO POLICE DEPARTMENT News Release
		Release #10-21-04a October 21, 2004 For Immediate Release
						Media Office 916-433-0808  Capt. Joe Valenzuela Sgt. Justin Risley, PIO Ofc. Michelle Lazark PIC Audrey Lee     Internet: www.sacpd.org

The Sacramento Police Department will be holding a press conference at the new Regional Radio Communications Center, located at 7399 San Joaquin Street, on Friday, October 22, 2004, at 12:00 p.m. This press conference will introduce the Sacramento Interoperable Communications Technology Program, funded by an $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

Interoperability is the ability of police and fire radio and data systems to “speak” to one another across jurisdictional and department lines.  The City of Sacramento is only one of 23 cities across the nation, and one of three in the State of California, to receive this grant.  This program will be implemented in partnership with the Sacramento Regional Radio Communications System consortium, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Sacramento City Fire Department, and Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department.  This grant provides the City and its partners with a prime opportunity to obtain compatible technology that will help us build an infrastructure that will support uninterrupted radio communications between and amongst regional police and fire departments – an essential factor in mutual aid and other emergency situations that cross jurisdictional and department lines.

This grant award is timely as our region is still experiencing tremendous growth and our emergency response systems need to be ready to meet the needs of all of our residents.

Speaking at the press conference will be Mayor Heather Fargo, Chief of Police Albert Nájera, Captain Bob Mitchell of the Sacramento Police Department, and Chief Information Officer from Sacramento County, Patrick Groff.