If it can’t afford more manpower, North Chicago should consider mobile computers that would improve the efficiency of its police officers, Ald. Richard Bradshaw suggested Monday.
It costs about $33,000 for salary, benefits and equipment to put a rookie officer on the streets. A mobile computer, mounted in a squad car, would cost about $4,900, plus installation and subscription fees, representatives of Motorola told the City Council’s police committee.
The computers accelerate checks of license plates and other information because an officer can do those functions directly from the squad car, rather than requesting the dispatcher to do them.
The process also is more confidential because the information is not relayed over police radios. Although Police Chief Ernest Fischer agreed Monday that the computers are useful, “I’d rather have some more men and some more squad cars,” he said.