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61 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, June 6, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 24, 2004 Central Point Police will adjust to two changes By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — The police department will start breaking in a new dispatch service and a new police chief at the same time. The City Council decided last week to end an eight-year stint with Medford’s Central Communications (CCOM) 9-1-1 dispatch service in favor of contracting with Southern Oregon Regional Communications (SORC), run by the county. With the city’s contract with CCOM ending in June, Central Point Police Chief Mike Sweeny said a bid submitted earlier this year by SORC gave city and police officials a chance to do some comparison shopping. Until a recent upgrade, SORC was unable to meet technology requirements to provide 9-1-1 services for mobile data systems in patrol cars. SORC will charge the city $163,000, while CCOM’s charge would be more than $198,000. Advertisement SORC provides dispatch services for 25 agencies, including the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, county fire districts (including District 3, which serves the city of Central Point) and seven small-town police departments. In addition to $35,000 in savings, City Administrator Phil Messina said the city will get the same quality of service it’s accustomed to, assistance by SORC in replacing outdated computer equipment in some of the department’s patrol cars and a "seat at the table." "We will become members of SORC," Messina said. "We’ll have a seat at the table to discuss budget and policies. We’ll essentially be a voting member instead of a customer or subscriber, which we think is going to be pretty nice." Sweeny, who advised the city on the selection, agreed there would be an advantage in "being a voice instead of just a customer." Also, he has no concerns about the switchover on July 1. "I wouldn’t have supported a change if there was any concern about officer safety or an officer getting hurt," he said. "That’s one of our top priorities." Sweeny will begin his final month as chief beginning next week. His successor, Grants Pass Department of Public Safety Lt. Jon Zeliff, will spend a week shadowing Sweeny and officially take over as chief July 1. The City Council chose Zeliff in April after a pool of three dozen applicants yielded five finalists. Sweeny announced his retirement last year. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times