While poor cellular coverage is an inconvenience that often thwarts mundane phone calls and text messages, the situation is becoming increasingly frustrating and worrisome for Cherokee County law enforcement.
Andrews Police Chief Rocky Burrell advised the Board of Aldermen of his concerns about the issue during an Aug. 2 town work session. Burrell said he was torn between recommending switching to AT&T as the department’s service provider or sticking with Verizon.
“Basically, the computer system (in the car) only works when they’re parked in front of the police station, because they’re using the WiFi,” Burrell said. “It’s not really cost us a serious emergency issue at this point, but it could. I’ve been told that if we just give Verizon a little more time, they’re going to be a whole lot better than AT&T, but AT&T works right now.”
Cherokee County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Chris Wood said the issue has been “huge” at times, including during a recent homicide investigation. Wood said detectives have become dependent on cell phones during investigations, both for access to the internet and to have discussions they do not want broadcast over the radio.
“To give you a for-instance, a recent homicide case we had on High Falls Road over in Marble, during the investigation that day, there was almost zero phone service,” Wood said. “We’ve come to rely on the cell phone, not as our primary means of communication, but really a 1B type.
“Having access to the internet on a crime scene (is important), or to just be able to talk on a crime scene, because you can’t have some conversations over the radio. I agree wholeheartedly with our brother and sister officers up in Andrews that the diminished coverage has had a huge effect on our ability to do our jobs efficiently.”
In January, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a motion that allowed County Manager Randy Wiggins to send a letter to state Rep. Karl Gillespie and state Sen. Kevin Corbin (both R-Franklin), formally requesting their help in attempting to improve local cellular issues.
Murphy Mayor Tim Radford organized a meeting of local leaders that spawned the county’s resolution, after he unsuccessfully attempted to make contact with key Verizon representatives. According to the mayor, he was later contacted by Robert Davis, Verizon’s vice president of state government Affairs, about the possibility of the company placing new equipment on a town water tower.
Radford said the issue “seems to have only gotten worse” since the letters were sent more than seven months ago and he has not received further communication from Davis.
Murphy assistant police chief Dustin Smith said cellular issues have not been as severe in town as they are toward the edges of Cherokee County but still show up at certain times and places. Smith, who is also unofficially sheriff-elect, said law enforcement cars’ computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems use a cellular signal for a variety of purposes, including opening case cards and passing along secure information.
“A lot of times, if you’re going into a neighborhood and it’s a gated community, you could put the pass code for that gate into that system and it doesn’t have to go across the airwaves,” he said.
Smith said an absence of cellular coverage also affects automatic vehicle locator (AVL) systems and can create a hindrance for first responders on the front end of an emergency situation.
“It’s always nice to know exactly where that car is stationed,” Smith said. “Also, it’s used to help guide first responders into an address.
“A lot of roads aren’t marked that well. EMS and law enforcement, you can see live where that car is, and dispatch can tell them live, ‘You need to turn, that’s your next drive,’ or something like that, and guide them into the call.”