Wednesday, February 25, 2026 |
Photo – Saratoga Police Department patch – Courtesy SPD
The Saratoga Police Department has upgraded its radios with funds from a state grant.
During the February 18th Saratoga Town Council meeting, Police Chief John Moore presented two invoices from ComTech, a Rock Springs communication technology company. The first request, Chief Moore asked for approval to pay ComTech over $11,000 for work that allows the department’s 12 radios to communicate more effectively with the county dispatch center in Rawlins.
Chief Moore explained that the radio upgrades allow officers to connect to the cellular hotspots in their cruisers through Motorola’s SmartConnect system. When out of standard coverage, the radios will automatically switch to the vehicle’s Wi‑Fi connection.
The second request, Chief Moore presented a $5,487.60 invoice from ComTech. The chief explained that the charge was for installation of the SmartConnect system in the police department’s radios, allowing officers to communicate through Wi‑Fi networks in their vehicles and around town.
Chief Moore added that the vehicle radios will also automatically switch to an authorized Wi‑Fi network when they lose signal.
Mayor Chuck Davis asked where the money for the radio upgrades will come from. Chief Moore explained that the entire cost is covered by a Wyoming Office of Homeland Security grant. Originally intended to upgrade the town’s emergency dispatch center, the chief said the funds can now be used for the radio upgrades.
Last year, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office took over the operation of all emergency response services in the Platte Valley, eliminating the need to upgrade the Saratoga Police Department’s dispatch equipment.
The Saratoga Town Council agreed to pay ComTech $16,929.72 for the radio upgrades, with 100 percent of the money coming from the Homeland Security grant.
