§ 20-196. Statewide radio system authorized; use of telephone lines in emergencies.
§20‑196. Statewide radio system authorized; use of telephone lines inemergencies.
The Secretary of Crime Controland Public Safety, through the State Highway Patrol Division is herebyauthorized and directed to set up and maintain a statewide radio system, withadequate broadcasting stations so situate as to make the service available toall parts of the State for the purpose of maintaining radio contact with themembers of the State Highway Patrol and other officers of the State, to the endthat the traffic laws upon the highways may be more adequately enforced andthat the criminal use of the highways may be prevented. The Secretary of CrimeControl and Public Safety, through the State Highway Patrol Division, is herebyauthorized to establish a plan of operation in accordance with FederalCommunication Commission rules so that all certified law‑ enforcementofficers within the State may use the law enforcement emergency frequency of155.475MHz.
The Secretary of Crime Controland Public Safety is likewise authorized and empowered to arrange with thevarious telephone companies of the State for the use of their lines foremergency calls by the members of the State Highway Patrol, if it shall befound practicable to arrange apparatus for temporary contact with saidtelephone circuits along the highways of the State.
In order to make this servicemore generally useful, the various boards of county commissioners and thegoverning boards of the various cities and towns are hereby authorized andempowered to provide radio receiving sets in the offices and vehicles of theirvarious officers, and such expenditures are declared to be a legal expenditureof any funds that may be available for police protection. (1935,c. 324, s. 6; 1941, c. 36; 1957, c. 65, s. 11; 1973, c. 507, s. 5; 1975, c.716, s. 5; 1977, c. 70, ss. 13, 14; c. 464, s. 34; 1983, c. 717, s. 7; 1987, c.525.)