RADIO BREAKDOWN SLOWS LAPD : MASSIVE 90-MINUTE LOSS OF VOICE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM CAUSES ALARM.Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer City officials scrambled Tuesday to find out what led to a 90-minute LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. voice communications ``blackout'' - leaving officers unable to use field radios to communicate with emergency dispatchers. The radio problems began around 9:30 p.m. Monday when the microwave link A microwave link is a transmission device which allows video / audio / data to be sent using radio waves between two locations from just a few feet to several miles apart. It is commonly used by television broadcasters to transmit a programme across the country. between a transmitter on Mount Lee and the Central Dispatch Center was broken, forcing the Los Angeles Police Department "LAPD" and "L.A.P.D." redirect here. For other uses, see LAPD (disambiguation).  This article or section is written like an . to go on tactical
alert, which limits police response to life threatening emergencies,
officials said.
911 dispatchers had to forward information about emergency calls by computer to the officers in their cars as well as relay information by phone to supervisors at division stations, said Officer Jason Lee. The officers still had radio contact with each other and their divisions, Lee said. But, he said, because of the problem, dispatchers could answer only high-priority emergency calls. The City Council tentatively agreed Tuesday to ask the LAPD for a full investigation and a briefing to explain what went wrong. ``The public has a right to expect a fast and effective 911 response from both the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), also known as the Los Angeles City Fire Department to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. It is the agency that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles. ,'' said Councilman Rudy Svorinich Rudy Svorinich (born 1960) is a Republican who served on the Los Angeles City Council representing the 15th district. A resident of San Pedro, his diverse district also includes the community of Watts. He was elected to the council in 1993 and served two full terns. Jr., who submitted the motion calling for the briefing. ``Anything which delays the response to these calls, such as last night's breakdown, potentially poses an unacceptable risk to Angelenos,'' Svorinich added. At the same time, Mayor Richard Riordan's chief of staff, Robin Kramer, sent a memo to Chief Willie L. Williams Willie L. Williams (born 1 October, 1943) was chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) from 1992 to 1997, taking over after chief Daryl Gates' resignation following the 1992 Los Angeles riots. also asking for a full report on what happened and how to avoid similar breakdowns in the future. Kramer also asked Williams to determine whether proper protocol was followed for notifying city leaders of such a problem. Mayoral spokeswoman Noelia Rodriguez said the LAPD did not notify anyone in the Mayor's Office of the communications breakdown. ``We're concerned,'' Rodriguez said. ``We did not even get notified.'' Lee said he was not aware of the mayor's concern but that the department would comply with any request for information. Linda Bunker, who oversees the LAPD's Communications Division, told the council's Budget and Finance Committee that it appears the microwave link failed because equipment overheated o·ver·heat v. o·ver·heat·ed, o·ver·heat·ing, o·ver·heats v.tr. 1. To heat too much. 2. To cause to become excited, agitated, or overstimulated. v.intr. . |
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