Was Video Screen Upgrade a Waste of Money?

Officials at Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications approved upgrading each dispatcher console from 15-inch to 17-inch video screens, at the same time they were negotiating with a console furniture vendor to replace all 107 of the consoles. According to tipsters who talked to the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper, the screen upgrade was a complete waste of $480,000. But OEMC spokesperson Jennifer Martinez told the newspaper that the project cost only $386,000, and that it might be a year before the new consoles are installed.”In the meantime, we do not want to risk public safety. It’s critical to public safety to have the latest technology on the 911 floor,” Martinez said. “We want to equip our call takers and dispatchers with the most up-to-date equipment possible.” Read more about the controversy here.