Crime & Safety
County Dispatch To Upgrade Toms River Facility
Chestnut Street communications building used for county-wide 911
As more local officials look to Ocean County to provide emergency dispatching services, county officials will spend $2 million to improve the communications center on Chestnut Street in Toms River, according to Freeholder John P. Kelly.
The $2 million will come from the county’s capital improvement fund, meaning the money will not be borrowed. A public hearing on using that sum to provide more space for the Sheriff’s Communications Center and for the Ocean County Prosecutor is set for 4 p.m. April 6 in the freeholder meeting room at 101 Hooper Avenue in Toms River.
Kelly said because of local budget pressures, communities like Tuckerton are asking the county to do all their emergency dispatching, not just handle 911 calls as was the practice in the past.
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“We added Seaside Park this year,’’ said Undersheriff Wayne Rupert.
He said the freeholders plan to refurbish a warehouse at the county complex on Chestnut Street and add equipment before the communications center moves into it.
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“There are plenty of departments looking for the space we’re using,’’ he said, although he did not which one will move there. He said there is a growing demand for space to store evidence gathered by the Criminalistics Investigation Unit at crime scenes.
Rupert expects more local officials to turn over their dispatching to the sheriff.
“The say budgets are you have to gave someone on the radio 24-7. They can’t afford it anymore,’’ he explained.
