Roanoke Police will soon be able to instantly know the location of every police vehicle using a high-tech tool designed to help both officers and those who call upon them. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones.
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Roanoke Police divide the city into districts and assign a particular unit to a certain district. Right now, if you call for help, the car assigned to your district is normally the first one summoned — but it may not be the closest. That’s where automatic vehicle locators, or AVL’s, come in. They help to immediately determine which unit can provide the quickest response. Roanoke Police Chief Chris Perkins says there’s another important benefit: officer safety. If police lose contact with an officer, they can determine the location of his or her police vehicle right away. Chief Perkins says they’re selected a provider for the system, and this high-tech way to track each unit is coming soon.
