Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
The Millbrook City Council took steps last week to strengthen public safety and save taxpayer dollars, approving the purchase of new police radio equipment funded largely through a federal technology grant.
The opportunity was brought to Millbrook Police Chief P.K. Johnson in late 2024 by Cindy Pate from the office of U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville. All law enforcement agencies are eligible to apply for the competitive grant through the U.S. Department of Justice for a designated amount of funding. Johnson submitted an application and secured the $190,000 technology grant for the city.
The funding will allow the department to significantly expand its communication capabilities, a move Johnson said has been needed for years. City officials say the grant not only strengthens public safety but also reduces the financial burden on local taxpayers by covering the majority of the cost.
Johnson said the department’s current radios operate only on an 800-megahertz frequency, limiting officers’ ability to communicate directly with neighboring agencies.
“Currently, our radios are broadcast on an 800-megahertz frequency, and we do not have the ability to talk to other law enforcement agencies,” Johnson said.
The new radios, purchased through Southern Link, will allow officers to communicate not only on the 800-megahertz frequency but also on a P-25 system used by surrounding agencies, including Elmore County and Montgomery, as well as on a 700-megahertz frequency.
“It will enable us to speak on multiple frequencies and thereby giving us an opportunity to communicate with area law enforcement and other first responders in our area,” Johnson said, noting the upgrade will be especially important during severe weather and other emergencies requiring multiple agencies to work together.
Johnson called the investment “a huge benefit” to the department, saying 23 Millbrook officers will receive the new portable radios through the grant. He added that the department plans to seek additional funding to eventually equip all officers.
“Now, the wonderful thing about this is, it does not hurt the officers that do not have these new radios,” Johnson said. “We are all still going to be able to communicate with each other. Officers who do not receive a radio in the first round will still be able to communicate internally, he said, though they will not initially have direct access to outside agencies.”
Johnson said the grant will cover most of the $193,000 total cost, with the city paying the $3,000 overage to complete the purchase.
“This will save our taxpayers money. We are purchasing a total of 23 radios with this money. This will cover half of our police department. If we can get another grant opportunity like this one, we will be able to complete this project, and then we will have another project to follow. There is always something with technology growing and changing in the career field that we are in, and technology is a great asset for law enforcement and what we do.”
Johnson also expressed appreciation for the assistance from Pate and Tuberville’s office.
“I want to give a very great thank you to Cindy Pate with Senator Tuberville’s office and Senator Tuberville himself because they were gracious enough to give us information on this opportunity and walk us through the process of being able to do it.”
Johnson went on to say that during his 10 years leading his department, successfully pursuing grants has allowed the city to obtain equipment that might not have been possible under its budget. He said grants are valuable tools that help departments maximize resources and stretch taxpayer dollars.
City Council President Michael Gay praised the department’s proactive approach.
“The technology grant for $190,000 that the police department was able to get is amazing. As proactive work like that by the police, trying to find sources of money is great. This grant would buy 23 next generation radios to help them communicate, and it saves the local taxpayers money. The police department was proactive and went out to find this grant and secured it. The police department is doing a great job looking for opportunities to be able to offset costs and finding great grants like this, and we were able to get high-quality communication radios that save the Millbrook citizens money in the process,” Gay said.
In addition to the radio purchase, the council approved the acquisition of five new Dodge Durango all-wheel-drive police vehicles, with delivery expected in 60 to 90 days.
Johnson said the department replaces vehicles annually as part of routine fleet maintenance, noting patrol units typically last three to five years due to heavy use. He said updating the fleet is more cost-effective than continually repairing aging vehicles and credited the mayor and council with supporting the department’s efforts to meet the community’s public safety needs.
