Vital Police Radio Systems undergoing upgrade

The UT Police Risk Operations Center (ROC) is upgrading its radio and telecommunications infrastructure, enhancing communication capabilities for uniformed security personnel and uniformed police officers. This upgrade, which began in mid-November, is part of the larger project aimed at replacing outdated console equipment and end-of-life radios, ensuring more efficient and reliable communication systems for UT Police.

UT Police’s radio systems are vital to the daily functioning of the police division, and police telecommunicators rely on them to coordinate activities and direct first responders to emergencies.

“The upgrade is a major investment in the future of law enforcement communication and will provide the UT Police Risk Operations Center with state-of-the-art systems designed to meet the growing demands of modern police operations,” said Paul Ayala, UT Police’s Risk Operations Center Technology Manager.

To enable the transition, telecommunications staff members have temporarily relocated from the ROC, the division’s dispatch center on Knight Road, to the team’s established backup site in MD Anderson’s Pickens Tower, which has already been upgraded to the new technology.

The upgrades to the ROC will take 2 to 3 months to complete, with full implementation expected by early 2025.

The new equipment also brings advanced capabilities that will significantly improve the efficiency and flexibility of the communication system.

“One of the major benefits of the new systems is the ability to use redundant IT resources, which ensures continuous communication in case of failures or emergencies,” Ayala said. 

With the existing system, radio traffic received through handheld radios does not use the same internal infrastructure that Risk Operations Center telecommunicators use. Now, ROC telecommunicators will have the ability to quickly deploy to the Special Operations Center – our team’s dedicated space for coordination of emergency services during large-scale or high-risk missions – when needed, enhancing the division’s ability to respond to rapidly changing situations.

The new technology aims to streamline and integrate radios and phones, facilitating quicker decision-making and better coordination across different teams within UT Police.

The integration of radios and phones is a common practice in many modern law enforcement agencies, and it will help the ROC enhance its communications both within the division and with external partners. Once complete there will be better reception for the radios and a single headset to answer telephones and the radio in the case of special operations.

The old phone and radio systems will be decommissioned, a critical step in ensuring that outdated systems are fully replaced without compromising operations.

“Despite the extensive work being done, there will be minimal downtime, ensuring that emergency response capabilities remain operational throughout the entire project,” Ayala said. “Once complete there will be improved stability to ROC radio systems, phone infrastructure upgraded to meet current standards, and better communication workflow to help serve the community.”