| VOLUME XXX No. 47 | Narrowsburg, NY | November 18 - 24, 2004 |
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Pike signs off on data link plan MILFORD, PA — The Pike County Commissioners and officials of the Palmerton communications company, Penteledata, finalized a contract on November 10 to create a data and video network for the county’s primary law enforcement and administrative services. Commissioners’ Chair Harry Forbes said the county learned of Penteledata’s plans to expand into the county and began discussions about a county project. When the company learned of Pike’s growth projections, that investment ballooned from a $5 million investment to $25 million. Penteledata spokesman Scott Hoppel said the company will partner with Blue Ridge Cable Television to set up the fiber-optic network, which will be capable of voice-over IP (intranet telephone service), video conferencing and video arraignments. Hoppel said the system would cut outside phone connection traffic, providing services that previously required up to 42 separate connections to seven connections. Video arraignment capability is a big point for the county, which houses juvenile offenders in out-of-county facilities and repeatedly transports them long distances for court proceedings. “It will keep the deputies off the road in the middle of the night,” Forbes said. Forbes said at this point it was difficult to project cost savings from the project, as the build-out of the project could involve other facilities and involve the county’s education system. Hoppel said the system will bring broadband service to many new areas in the county, “but not all.” Connection terminals would be placed in the county courthouse, administration building, the county prison, district magistrates’ offices, the conservation district and the workforce development agency. Forbes said lines are also being constructed to Blooming Grove so service will be available when the newly finalized business park is up and running. New county start-up costs for the $90,000, three-year contract would be offset by a $70,000, four-year state grant. The grant would initially be 90 percent state/10 percent county funded and would reduce to 75, 50 and 25 state funding over the course of it term. The new system could be up and running as soon next July.
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| TRR photo by David Hulse | |
| The Pike County Commissioners Chair Harry Forbes announced last week that Sheriff Phil Bueki, pictured above, has been named to Pennsylvania’s Training Board for Police. Bueki said that the sheriffs’ police duties began increasing 10 years ago and will soon include full vehicle law enforcement and arrest powers as well as community outreach programs. “My office is training children and youth [in the DARE Program] as we speak. We’re proud to be a leader,” he said Forbes and Bueki have been advocates for increased training for Pennsylvania deputy sheriffs and have seen that training increased from a “quick and dirty” 160 hours to 760 hours. “Training is everything,” Bueki said and to that end he and Forbes are working with the Northampton Community College of Tannersville to set up training opportunities at a new satellite campus that will soon open in Shohola Township. Forbes said the next goal would be to have deputies training hours accredited as one semester’s work toward a degree in criminal justice. (Click for larger version) |
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