Speak Out: Homeland security grant funding CGPD with laptops

Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 9:02 AM:

A well appointed and special ordered HP Laptop, ordered to take advantage of 2010 Black Friday discounts cost me $2110.58. I could have spent considerably more to go top of line. Contained only the normal bundled software.

Chances are for uses in a vehicle instead of conventional hard drives, that solid state, which are considerably more expensive, were probably used because of potential damage in a police vehicle. I did not opt for solid state.

Then there is the software, and then given some government waste which is standard and a kickback or two, they could have easily reached $4000.00

Replies (23)

  • There are alot of varibles that you have to keep in mind.

    #1. They will be permantly mounted in each car. It's not a matter of just unplugging it and moving to another one.

    #2. If they are going to be able to track each car for faster dispatching, that would mean each laptop would have to have it's own GPS installed.

    #3. Then, you are going to have to convert them from being electric to a total 12-Volt system.

    #4. As Wheels said, the special software. Software they will use doesn't come cheap.

    And then, you have to keep in mind the safty and privacy. An officer will be able to run a plate or driver without it being broadcast over the radio for everyone with a scanner to hear.

    I've been in this computer business for a while, and $4000 apiece sounds like a bargain to me.

    -- Posted by SpankyTheTanky on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 11:17 AM
  • Spending on computers might beat spending on popcorn poppers a little bit.

    With the cost of fuel these days, more time in squad cars idling with the air conditioner or heater on should be the goal. Right?

    Some of the first HLS money to be spread around bought rural fire fighters new rechargable Mag-Lites. I wonder how many of those are still in the fire station or mounted in the rescue trucks.

    -- Posted by Old John on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 11:17 AM
  • BC,

    It is a given that government is the poorest of money managers around. Unless we actually know the specs of the equipment and at least something about the software, no comparison to stripped down special run equipment you will find on the shelf at Sam's Club can be made. I might add, something you will not be able to find on the same shelf at Sam's as early as next week. What they carry is usually made to sell and if you are not wary of what you get, you will find components such as something as vital as the main processor will a lot of times be bottom of the 2nd suppliers line. In other words not Intel current top of the line technology.

    -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 11:23 AM
  • -- Posted by SpankyTheTanky on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 11:17 AM

    Thanks, most of us have no real world frame of reference. I know a couple of agencies who tried to save money and are now on their third purchase of equipment as it did not meet their needs. MSHP went through this several years ago; don't know how it worked for them, but a lot of experimentation and redesign went on. We were looking at something similar and I spoke with them about it.

    -- Posted by Acronym on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 11:47 AM
  • $4,000 each seems EXTREMELY excessive. Always easy to waste someone else's money.

    -- Posted by Me'Lange on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 6:49 AM

    I'm sure they will get as much bang for their buck as they can. Are they going to a military grade, which they should since they will be subject to water and extreme temperatures. My first laptop lasted about 6 months. It was vibration, moisture, and dirt that got it.

    It also depends on the guidelines they must go by for the funds and if that also pays for wireless bandwith for a certain amount of time, which is high. Also the cradles and installation of them can be high. A good Ram mount for computer can be $300 plus by the time you get all the necessary hardware for them. The one in my truck was used and I have $250 invested in it.

    $4K might seem high but it may not.

    -- Posted by We Regret To Inform U on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 3:52 PM
  • Me'Lange, I don't know if you were referring to me or not, but before I could give an intelligent opinion on whether the "price is right", or that I "approve", I would have to know a whole lot more about the specs and consult with someone who knows a whole lot more about computers than I.

    I was involved in this twice while I was working. One of the people I supervised is a computer expert; don't know why he was working for us, but he and some other SME's (Subject Matter Experts)were assigned the task of evaluating laptops over about a year.

    Our department didn't follow their recommendations because of cost and productivity has never been good, performance has been hit or miss and the objective of allowing individuals to work in the field has never been realized. I have been told as these computers have problems, they will be taken out of service and replaced with even cheaper ones.

    Sometimes, you don't save money by spending less. Whether this is the case here, I don't know as I no longer know any current CGPD personnel.

    I was not in favor of the formation of Homeland Security and view the grants like the old LEAA/LEAP or Title XX in which people just sat around thinking up ways to get their hands on it.

    -- Posted by Acronym on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 5:36 PM
  • I think the first issue is do the police need laptops in their police cars? I would presume that homeland security has some kind of plan in mind should this nation be attacked that the police would be part of our defense mechanism. Homeland Security may be way overblown, way overstaffed and be given way too much money tp p*** away for all I know.

    While the Sam's off the shelf computers will do an adequate job for getting on the internet and doing a few e-mails, they are hardly workhorses by today's standards. And when we talk about need.... most home computers I think it would be safe to say are a nice toy and a luxury item rather than a necessity.

    But assuming there is a valid reason to put the laptops in the police cars, then some things make sense and some do not. The statement below assumes that you can go to a box store and buy off the shelf stuff that is a pure waste of money for a specialized application. And $1200 does not get you top of the line anywhere.

    "Given you can buy A laptop as low as $250 bucks and top of the line, fully loaded at $1,200..."

    So while $4000 for a computer and software may seem steep, if somebody did their homework in specing them out, they may be a screaming bargain compared to an off the shelf model that is money wasted for something that will not do the job.

    Was there some money wasted, I would almost bet on it. Was it more than would have been wasted by purchasing inadequate equipment the first time, I doubt it. Since it appears they were purchased with grant money, rather than furnished by Homeland Security, it would seem that someone on the local level must have made the buying decision and could be required to justify their cost. On the other hand the grant money may have required certain specification equipment be used as a condition of the grant.

    -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 5:54 PM
  • Mel

    You support Obama and say we should be frugal?

    Back to the thread.

    **************************************************************

    We Regret, From the interview, I got the impression the laptops will stay in the car. Thus the elements should not be as big of a concern.

    -- Posted by Me'Lange on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 3:56 PM

    I didn't think so either. The laptop stayed in the truck and I loaded the data on a flash each day and took it to the office computer. But on rainy days it was still used and I probably had wet fingers a few times. Just the humidity does a number on them. You don't have a sink to wash up before using it also.

    I just told you my problem and mine is a vehicle that is being used maybe two or three hours a day instead of 12. I have always bought the best tools and it has paid off. A computer should be the same. When laptop starts messing up it is usually done.

    -- Posted by We Regret To Inform U on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 6:00 PM
  • Suggest logins to existing systems/networks should be basically the same as if the LEO was in the squad room.

    Without some kind of wireless connection via Hughesnet, a reliable 4G Cellullar carrier or something of that nature.... they are going to need some awfully long cables.

    -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 6:42 PM
  • As someone pointed out, the real expense will be the reoccuring wireless connections. Which I seriously doubt the grant covered.

    Wheels, Seems you missed part of the comment.

    -- Posted by Me'Lange on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 6:51 PM

    Yes you are correct, since the cart was out in front of the horse and we were doing a simple connection like we were in the squad room, I missed the afterthought.

    As Nil pointed out in his post, this is not exactly as simple as a home network for security purposes, if you are not familiar with commercial applications and some of the costs involved, they are considerably more costly. A small operation like the own I ran used commercial firewall and virus protection which in our case at least involved buying protection for a certain size block of users.

    -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 7:06 PM
  • If a setup like this is necessary to properly do the work a police department does today this should have been paid for locally. Why do we need a national agency to properly equip our local police?

    -- Posted by Robert* on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 7:56 PM
  • Why do we need a national agency to properly equip our local police?

    -- Posted by stnmsn8 on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 7:56 PM

    Because they like to spend money? I guess homeland security will get information on what goes though the computers also.

    -- Posted by We Regret To Inform U on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 8:12 PM
  • You think this is high few years ago Homeland Security was buying rural fire trucks like they were going out of style, and I mean nice trucks. You should see the Vanduser FD fire trucks they are as good as Cape Girardeau. Homeland Security spends that printed money.

    -- Posted by swampeastmissouri on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 8:57 PM
  • "And (fyi) Intranets have nothing to do with a home network."

    Ahhhh.... I didn't know that was what I have been using all these years. And for your information these Intranets are not bullet proof by any means. No system yet put together by man is hack proof. Some very large systems have been brought down. Once you let employees start using the internet to do necessary office communications they will use it for visiting other sites as well. Plus you have to open up ports for allowed external usage of the Intranet by permitted persons. I have only been doing that for the past nearly 12 years now to help my kids witht their month end and year end closes.

    Don't always make the assumption that you know more about everything than they do when you do not know who you are talking to.

    -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 10:08 PM
  • How much they should cost and how they work is way beyond anything I know.

    I do know this whole thing gets back to a question I keep asking. If we need and can afford stuff like this, how much more could we get for the money if the money wasn't sent to D.C. and then back with strings attached? Not to mention them keeping part of it for their trouble.

    What if someone in Washington proposed an across the board federal tax refund for folks in the amount that their state increased taxes?

    I just feel that all this money available to send back indicates to much was taken.

    -- Posted by Old John on Sun, Dec 18, 2011, at 11:17 PM
  • They are going to put this nice equipment in those old wore out police cars. The fleet has not been changed out in six years.

    -- Posted by swampeastmissouri on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 6:04 AM
  • When the law is too complex, everyone is a criminal.

    Maybe that's why the feds need to see to the equipping of local LEO's. The "criminal class", or the "potential criminal class", is about to be greatly expanded.

    When they no longer have to take an oath to the Constitution, look out.

    -- Posted by Givemeliberty on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 6:31 AM
  • -- Posted by swampeastmissouri on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 6:04 AM

    I can imagine the howls of outrage if they tried to buy new cars. I imagine like most departments, that money is pretty tight.

    -- Posted by Acronym on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 6:55 AM
  • Rick,

    Don't you just hate decisions this early in the morning?

    -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 9:27 AM
  • -- Posted by Me'Lange on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 7:26 AM

    They actually buy cars in rotation or from the last information I had that is the way they do it and some Officers have their own vehicles that no one else drives.

    A lot of departments have had to revise their SOP on operation/assignment/replacement of vehicles.

    A friend of mine was in charge of fleet management for a state department and her job was pretty complicated, but I can't see where CGPD's operations would be.

    One reason they are hanging on to their cars "may" be because the "Crown Vic is no longer made and many Officers and administrators don't find the available replacements very attractive. I have spoken to some who really don't like the Dodges and Chevys.

    -- Posted by Acronym on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 9:50 AM
  • can you image the LEOs chasing the bad guys in the new , climate change world-saving , Chevy "Volt" ?

    -- Posted by Rick. * * on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 9:54 AM

    Rick,

    Now that is funny... maybe we should make a law that bad guys can only drive them as well... to make things fair. Another law always fixes everything.

    Merry Christmas to you and yours as well Rick.

    -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 10:00 AM
  • -- Posted by Rick. * * on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 9:54 AM

    I thought the PC thing to do was not to chase people and just "hope" they would do the right thing and pull over.

    Or maybe when the Volt caught fire they would stop out of curiosity to see what happened.

    I actually thing a "Police Pursuit Package" is in the works for those. It is a cordless drill mounted in the trunk, you can use it kind of like a NOS system for a gas powered one.

    -- Posted by Acronym on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 10:16 AM
  • Acronym,

    Good to get some insight on those secret projects like the "Police Pursuit Package", PPP for short. Bet that cordless drill when applied would lift the front wheels off the ground. ;-)

    -- Posted by Have_Wheels_Will_Travel on Mon, Dec 19, 2011, at 11:47 AM

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