Radio System Used for Grant Collateral

Harrison County (Miss.) officials say they never gave permission to use their 800 MHz radio system to provide 20% matching “collateral” for a federal grant on a $19 million law enforcement computer system. But Julian Allen, director of the Mississippi Automated System Project (MASP) project said he did obtain approval from the county’s E911 Commission for the grant matching plan, and then included it in his 2002 application to the federal government. The county’s board of supervisors said they took Allen’s word on the approval when they approved the grant, but never saw anything in writing. The computer project promised a regional wireless network by 2005, but $16 million has been spent and the project may not be finished until 2010. Read more about the strange financing here.