Since Dallas upgraded its dispatch system two years ago it has been plagued with bugs and glitches. Now some Dallas patrol officers say they are tired of the frequent system failures.
The latest came Saturday night when an officer tried to find out if a car she had pulled over was stolen. With the system down the dispatcher was unable to run the plate, said Fraternal Order of Police President Mike Walton.
"Something needs to be done, felons are being let go because we can't get the information in a timely matter to see if they are wanted in the first place," Walton said.
In May, 1,100 new computers will be installed in patrol cars city wide, said Lt. Chris Aulbaugh, who works in the Dallas Police Department's communications unit.
"We want to give officers all the tools they need, I understand they are frustrated," he said. "Once those computers are in the field many of the problems should be solved."
Walton said the fix can't come soon enough.
"They said they were going to fix it two years ago, then last year, then six months ago, I'm not holding my breath," he said.
