The Princeton Council has approved spending $108,351 to purchase 20 mobile data terminals for the Princeton Police Department’s patrol cars.
The Princeton Council approved the purchase at its Jan. 19 meeting.
The new mobile data terminals will replace the mobile data terminals in the patrol cars because they have not been, and cannot be, updated to the new operating system, officials said.
Last year, the Princeton Police Department moved ahead with the purchase and installation of a new in-car camera system for all of the patrol cars. The new camera system is integrated with the new body-worn cameras.
But during the installation process, it was discovered that the current in-car mobile date terminals had not been updated to the most protected and supported version of the Windows operating system, officials said.
That is why it became necessary to buy the new mobile data terminals. The new equipment is needed to maintain the proper electronic security on the Princeton Police Department’s system and to operate the new in-car cameras.
“As I understand it, this is an update for what the police have in their cars. It also interfaces with (the police officers’) body-worn cameras,” Princeton Councilwoman Eve Niedergang said.
Mayor Mark Freda agreed, and said that the current mobile data terminals were so old that the software for the camera system would not work.
Princeton Councilwoman Leticia Fraga said the new mobile data terminals will “interface” with the license plate reader equipment that the Princeton Police Department is using for parking enforcement.
The new equipment will be useful for when the town moves into its proposed parking permit system, which will use license plate readers, Fraga said.