Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE - Jeff Bronsing kicked off his campaign for sheriff Thursday by proposing how to replace the sheriff's department's outdated communications network.
Kosciusko County's dire need for a new communications system could benefit greatly if local law enforcement agencies worked together in purchasing the system, he said.
Otherwise, other police agencies would be left behind in the upgrade.
"If we put in an 800-megahertz program now, these other towns aren't going to afford to go to it. They're going to be on the old system, which means we're going to have to have capabilities for monitoring that plus the new system," Bronsing said during a town hall meeting at the Lakeland Youth Center in Syracuse.
"If we can get everybody to come together and put in a countywide communications system, the overall cost - it's going to be high - but you're going to be saving money for the small towns," Bronsing said.
The communications system is one example of the benefits of "Integrated Law Enforcement," a strategy in which nearby police jurisdictions work together and share common resources, Bronsing said.
Bronsing is running on the Democrat ticket and faces two opponents in the May 5 primary.
Replacing the communications system is one of the common themes voiced by other candidates in the crowded field seeking to replace longtime sheriff Al Rovenstine.
While some candidates have suggested the communications overhaul be included in the price of future jail expansion, Bronsing is the first to suggest a different approach.
Problems with communications are varied. Police radios suffer from too much static and interference because of an overcrowding on the available frequencies, Bronsing said.
The equipment is outdated and dispatching operates from a room that is too small.
Bronsing said the current equipment doesn't work as intended.
"As many times as it's been hit by lightning, it's a wonder it still works," Bronsing said.
Another aspect of the communications issue is the need to replace the 911 emergency service. Funds for that project have been saved from the monthly fee on county residents' phone bills.
As part of a countywide center, Bronsing said dispatching would be centralized. Warsaw police and the sheriff's department both operate separate 911 dispatching.
Bronsing didn't have a cost estimate, but predicted the price for a communications overhaul would be "very expensive."
Integrated law enforcement could also be extended to benefit other aspects of law enforcement, he said.
Bronsing, a patrolman with the sheriff's department for 25 years, also proposed using community policing in which neighborhoods, schools and other organizations work with police to reduce crime.
Neighbors' involvement can include talking more with police and other neighbors when they suspect trouble. Just the use of people listening to police radios can be a help, he said.
On another issue, Bronsing applauded the proposed involvement of a private firm that has proposed constructing a private juvenile detention center in Pierceton. The facility would house upward of 110 youths.
The announcement is "fabulous" news, he said.
One of the greatest benefits of the facility for the sheriff's department would be the amount of time saved by officers who currently often spend several hours transporting youths to facilities outside of north central Indiana, he said.
