Police radio area to be extended

Ansaldo STS has won a $2.5m data communications contract from the Western Australia Police. The contract is central to the police force’s plans to extend the coverage area of its secure digital metropolitan radio network from the current 9000 km² to 20,000 km².

The company developed and delivered the first stage of the data radio network to the police in 2006. The network is fully integrated with embedded GPS.

It enables reliable, secure end-to-end data messaging, enquiries and dispatch information to be exchanged between mobile police vehicles and the central police communications centre.

Its ability to automatically locate police vehicles enables centre staff to identify and dispatch the closest and most suitably equipped vehicle to attend a particular incident.

Under the new contract, the system will be extended north of Perth to Lancelin, east to Northam and south to Dunsborough.

Robert Clark, Group Project Director, Ansaldo STS Western Australia, and Karl O'Callaghan, Western Australian Police Commissioner, signing the communications contract.