NEWTON — Officers with the Newton Police Department will soon be able to communicate with each other better.

    Last week, the Newton Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to purchase six Motorola handheld radios and a control center for the police department from Jackson Communications Inc. for a total of $13,794.

    In February, the police department’s radio control center was struck by lightning. Since then the department has been renting a repeater for $100 a month.

    According to Newton Police Chief Harvey Curry the cost to repair the old system would have been about $14,000.

    The new radio system will be an upgrade and will connect the department with the Mississippi Wireless Information Network (MSWIN).

    “This system will provide what the department needs with newer technology and the ability to better communicate statewide,” Curry said. “I have demonstrated them by taking them out and using them. I am very happy to be getting the new radios.”

    Nicole Vera, general manager for Jackson Communications, attended the Tuesday meeting. She told the aldermen the MSWIN is a public safety communications system that operates statewide on a 700 MHz frequency that a lot of agencies and communities are now using.

    “A lot of the state departments, highway patrols and emergency management agencies are operating on this system now,” Vera said. “Newton is in an especially good area because there is a statewide tower right in the middle of the county and four or five on the edges of the county.”

    Newton Mayor David Carr asked how often the radios would have to be replaced to keep up with changing technology.

    “It’s not something you would have to replace in the next two or three years,” Vera said. “Even though technology is changing, these radios are equipped to operate on the system for a long time,” she said.

    Vera said MSWIN has towers that are interconnected all over the state so if a tower goes out the communication automatically rolls over to surrounding towers.

    “There are a lot of public safety agencies that depend on this communication system,” Vera said. “The state is proactive in keeping our system up and running and maintained. Also, the state has mobile towers in the event of a major natural disaster. If the tower in your area is destroyed a mobile one can be brought in.”

    Vera said another advantage of converting to MSWIN is the purchaser is not responsible for the maintenance of the infrastructure.