BURLINGTON — Boone Fiscal Court is considering borrowing more than $2.7 million to give notebook computers to every police officer in the county.

        County commissioners gave first reading to an ordinance that would allow the county to borrow money to buy computers, and are expected to take a final vote Nov. 7.

        They also voted Tuesday to begin the process of building a new justice center.
       

Working with state
        A resolution that allows the county and the state Administrative Office of the Courts to coordinate efforts to build the $16 million jail/judicial facility at East Bend Road and Torrid Drive was approved unanimously.

        Judge-executive Gary Moore said the 72,300-square-foot justice center would include offices and courtrooms for the district and circuit courts, and the circuit court clerk.

        These offices are now in the county courthouse on East Bend Road in Burlington.

        The new justice center would be across the street from the courthouse.

        The General Assembly approved $8 million for the justice center in 1998 and the rest this year.

        “We finance it, the state pays the debt service,” Mr. Moore said.

        “It costs the county nothing.”

        Mr. Moore said blueprints have been completed.

        He said a formal presentation of the design should be ready within a month, with bidding set for early next year.
       

Making job easier
        Police think the computers will make it easier to catch suspects.

        If the county approves, 160 computers would go to four police departments: Boone County police, Boone County Sheriff's Office, Walton police and Florence police.

        In addition, 10 would go to selected emergency medical service units and fire departments on a trial basis.

        Jack Prindle, interim director of the county's Public Safety Communications Center in Florence, said the computers are on order and should be in place by the end of the year.

        Mr. Prindle said money would be used to install modems in each vehicle and a radio system on each of four communications towers.

        Computers have been in police cars in other departments for years.

        Officers use them to run their own background checks from their vehicles, which is faster and frees dispatchers for other duties.

        “Our hope is, further on, to go to a paperless (record-keeping) system,” Mr. Prindle said.

        Mr. Moore said the monthly 911 charge on telephone bills will pay for the computers and other equipment over the next seven years.

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