AU - Police radio plan in strife By Ben Martin A $126 MILLION police technological revolution has plunged into crisis after the near-collapse of a company contracted to supply technology to frontline officers.

Cost overruns, financial blunders, computer bugs and time blowouts have plagued the Delta Communication and Information Technology Program (DCAT) since its 1998 launch.

Now police fear they will be forced to start from scratch on a crucial $95 million communications part of the program after an administrator was appointed to the parent company of Melbourne firm Simoco Pacific, the supplier of high-tech digital radio networks.

More than 60 frontline police are still deskbound working on DCAT and a host of highly-paid consultants are still trying to fix scores of bugs in the systems.

CADCOM - Call Taking Computer Aided Dispatch and Related Communications Project - is the flagship of the communications overhaul and includes secure voice and data communication systems undetectable by criminals.

Currently, radio scanner enthusiasts, tow-truck drivers and criminals are able to listen to police radio transmissions.

The CADCOM system ranks calls for police help in importance. Global positioning satellite beacons tell CADCOM the location of every police car and the computer sends the nearest or best-suited car to the incident.

Officers will also be able to access and compile vital information about criminals from computers in patrol cars. The system will cut response times and paperwork.

But embarrassing design errors such as computer screens which obstruct car gear sticks and climate-control panels have plagued the scheme. Project insiders say there has been a struggle to integrate the different components of DCAT.

Police initially expected CADCOM to be installed by April, 1999, and be operational by January last year. Police are planning a phased delivery starting later this year.

Last week, an administrator was appointed to Simoco Pacific's England-based parent company Simoco International Ltd after it hit financial strife.

Simoco Pacific is contracted to BAE Systems, which holds the primary contract for the police communications overhaul and has subcontracted several companies to build different parts of the system.

Police refused to discuss what would happen if Simoco Pacific folded but The West Australian understands BAE Systems has already started discreetly scouting for another digital radio supplier.

Police Minister Michelle Roberts would say only that BAE Systems had an obligation to fulfil its contract.

A Simoco Pacific spokesman said the company would try to meet its current contracts but refused to comment on the extent of Simoco International's financial strife. http://www.thewest.com.au/20020312/news/state/tw-news-state-home-sto48142.html

-- Anonymous, March 12, 2002