Newspapers / The Daily Tar Heel. / March 6, 2000, edition 1 / Page 6
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6 Monday, March 6, 2000 Police to Receive Technological Upgrades The Chapel Hill Police Department received a federal grant to improve its computer network. By Nishant Garg Staff Writer In an attempt to address lagging tech nological know-how, the Chapel Hill Police Department has embarked on a project that would enable it to get rid of existing ailments. The U.S. Department of Justice approved a $65,737 federal grant last year for the police department to resolve some of the problems that plague its computer system. Police spokeswoman Jane Cousins PROFESSOR From Page 3 did say it several times,” Greene said. “He also designed the program so he could tell if we were cheating.” She said the professor altered the answers so he would be able to distin guish his work from that of his students. Greene said the class had no respect for the visiting professor, and students made no attempt to hide their contempt M. [BSnM Travel ~ 137 E FRANKLIN STREET CHAPEL HILL 919-942-2334 rear of Nations Bank Bldg across from UNC yj yj yj. cioun s IJi/n v~) L a o in 81 lam S JEj V yj kip jj2*% .% j _ 2il. * . EntertheShopnow.com Hoops Hoopla Basketball Tourney. ' . ‘.”.2 'V SPff j? T Headtowww.shopnow.com/hoops.Then pick the winning teams before tipoff on March 16, 2000 and you; '!■ 1 could find yourself staring at a brand new Fujitsu Plasma Vision 42" flat screen. So what are you waiting ;.W,j'T /r-jp —. >. ' for? After all, you, like Xena, have many skills. Come find out if picking the winning team is one of them. '■<* j 1 SnOPfIOW. X*TmHI • TANARUS;. V 4 V- * said the block grant funds would be used to upgrade the computer information network. “The federal grants have been ear marked for technological improve ment,” Cousins said. “The police department submitted an application (to the federal government) in July 1999.” The improvements will address prob lems such as the insecurity of officers with existing technology, the loss of mugshots in databases and the lack of effective communication between patrolling vehicles. Department officials said they planned to accomplish these goals by replacing the records management soft ware and installing laptop computers called mobile data terminals in traffic enforcement vehicles. for the professor. “It was definitely clear the students disrespected him.” Stavis said this was a highly unusual situation that needed to be handled with speed and care for the benefit of both the college and the students. “The primary concern is to move through the process quickly and as thor ough and fair as possible.” The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu. The existing software has caused a great deal of deliberation in the Chapel Hill Police Department since early 1999, when frequent breakdowns in the sys tem began hampering work efficiency, Cousins said. The funds will not be available until the Chapel Hill Town Council autho rizes the acceptance of the grant and provides a local match of 10 percent from the town. Council member Pat Evans said she anticipated that the contribution from the town would be approved as part of the regular budget. “The match has to be a part of the budget - probably the police budget,” Evans said. Cousins said the grant would also be used to install laptops that connect the poilce department to the state informa LANDFILL From Page 3 zoning as it was stated in the public hearing a couple of weeks ago,” he said. “I think this is a step in the right direction.” Ward said council members must now find anew site that would suit the county before the ownership of the landfill and waste disposal transfer from Chapel Hill to the county could be com pleted. “If we’re going to say no to the com missioners, we need to be committed to finding a site somewhere else,” he said. However, Ward said it was prema ture to make a commitment to a site in the Eubanks Road area. Ward said the Greene Tract had more appropriate uses, including a recre ational area, mixed-use development and even a possible school site. Council member Joyce Brown said she hoped the decision would not pro long the implementation of the transfer. (Vv'-fwft tion ° f Cult “res . CTC-' Monday, March 6, 2000 Great Hall /V t> Dinner at 6:oopm, Tickets $5 Free Multicultural Show at 7:3opm Purchase tickets in the Pit ***Door Prizes include free dinner certificates to Mariakakis, Silk Road & El Chilango*** SponsoredTy the International Center, the Association for International StuJenrs the University Center for International Studies 4k the Study Abroad Office News tion network and the police department records program. The laptops would also be used for downloading police reports direcdy into the police department database. Major Greggjarvies said he expected the cost of the project to be about $400,000. Cousins said she anticipated positive results from the implementation and use of the new technology. “The project would be beneficial in increasing officer safety,” she said. “(Officers) will be able to retrieve infor mation immediately. “They will be providing service to cit izens by quickly responding in the patrolling area.” The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu. “I don’t see why this should slow it down,” she said. “I hope that it won’t.” Council member Kevin Foy said the commissioners’ decision would have positive results for the area. “This will go a long way towards bringing a resolution,” he said. Chapel Hill Mayor Rosemary Waldorf said she was very pleased with the Board of Commissioners’ decision, but that Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough must commit to work with the board to decide what 60-acre site would be transferred to the county. Waldorf said all parties must agree to any revisions in the deal, evaluate a Greene Tract survey and decide on a site to be transferred to the county before the responsibility of waste man agement could be shifted. “ If we get all those things done by no later than the end of this month, then the handover can occur on April 17.” The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu. BUDGET From Page 3 plus funds and cut spending. Hunt redi rected $72 million originally intended for capital improvements within the UNC-system and requested a 1 percent spending freeze for all state departments. Asa result of these actions, Hunt was able to gather $836 million in state flood relief funds. Following Hunt’s decisions, federal representatives sent $2.2 billion in emer gency aid. But despite hefty federal support, Hurricane Floyd has drained North Carolina’s rainy day fund, an appropri ation originally intended to make sure the General Assembly always had a bal ance for its expenditures. In addition to Hurricane Floyd, fac tors in North Carolina’s revenue short age include tax-related court decisions and tax cuts made by the General Assembly. Following suits by N.C. residents, the state Supreme Court declared two taxes to be unconstitutional and ordered much of the revenue collected from the taxes to be repaid. The intangibles tax, collected since 1937, was overturned in 1997, while an income tax on retirement benefits, col lected since 1949, was overturned in 1998. Asa result, the General Assembly must now endure the perpetual loss of about $250 million in annual revenue, as well as repay $1.2 billion already col lected. The final balance of the repay ment, about $640 million, is due this year and must be appropriated in the next session of the General Assembly. On top of problems created by the hurricane and the court rulings, a bipar tisan decision to cut taxes is leaving rep resentatives considerably less revenue to allocate. Proposed by Republicans and backed by Hunt, the General Assembly passed tax cuts five years ago, when budget sur pluses seemed to suggest that the state I Break 3 Free Tans I f; —= w/ purchase of 10 visits Special allfors4o Open 7 days a week • Rams Plaza Shopping Center • 968-3377 (The Daily (Tar Hwl was collecting too much money. Although the state is continuing to expand old programs and develop new! ones such as Smart Start, the N.C. bud-' - get must now reflect the decision to trim $ 1.5 billion in taxes. * “There have been significant tax; reductions in recent years, and (the cuts); 1 have had the effect of impairing the " state’s ability to meet its obligations,” BOG member John Sanders said. Reduced revenue and additional expenses will result in major funding difficulties in the upcoming legislative session. There, representatives must bal ance the budget for the 1999-2000 fiscal year and discuss requests for additional, appropriations, such as the BOG’s financial aid and capital funding pack ages. > The General Assembly is prohibited by the N.C. Constitution from approv ing a budget that incurs a deficit, so every new appropriation must fit with in the state’s projected revenue. Jim Johnston, director of the General Assembly’s fiscal research division, said he remained optimistic about the miss ing funds. “We’ll have to delay our sales tax esti mate until late April, much later than normal,” he said. “But over the long haul, during the next year, we’ll gain it back - just not by the end of the month.” Legislators are aware of this year’s tight budget, but many remain confident they can handle any problems that will arise. “We will balance the budget,” said Sen. Beverly Perdue, D-Carteret. “We’ve been doing it, and we know how.” Rep. Charlotte Gardner, R-Rowan, said limiting spending on new projects would probably be the only way to bal ance this year’s budget. “(The budget) is not a deficit, but there’s just not going to be a lot of money to cover new things,” she said. “I think new appropriations will be few and far between.” The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
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