Despite weeks of discussion on consolidating dispatch with the county, the Common Council instead is moving ahead on a vote to keep dispatch within the Lockport Police Department.
In a closed-door meeting with the council Wednesday, Lockport police union president Kevin Lucinski made an offer to keep dispatch in-house and upgrade the radio room equipment for a one-time cost of $272,000.
Mayor Michelle Roman said the union has agreed to make concessions in return for keeping dispatch, but declined to discuss specifics of the offer until after Lucinski’s scheduled meeting with the city’s negotiations committee Friday. Roman said putting the dispatch deal before the council at its next meeting Aug. 21 “would be ideal.”
Lockport police have pushed for continuing to handle their own dispatch, arguing any deal that required the department to share a radio frequency would put officers at risk, because there would be too much chatter on the line.
