Supervising responders from about a dozen Bergen municipalities plus the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and Bergen Sheriff's Office attended the event to learn more about new services and equipment available to local law enforcement. Some of the new technology included record management, maps and radio systems.
"I think one of the main benefits is sharing services and inter-operability," said Frank DelVecchio, Bergen County's director of communications.
The ability to communicate clearly and effectively is always important, DelVecchio said. The inability to collaborate easily was a problem during the 9/11 attacks 14 years ago, but the county has been focusing on improving its communication, he said.
It can be costly for some smaller municipalities to upgrade to all of the latest technology, which makes the county setup so attractive, DelVecchio said.
Leonia Police Chief Thomas Rowe said the county technology will provide a "tremendous advantage" for his department. Sharing information will allow departments to examine trends in crime regionally, leading to more effective solutions, he said.
"So from my standpoint I can see this helping us solve crime," Rowe told Daily Voice. "It's superior to what we're currently using. I'm very excited about what I've seen."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Mahwah-Ramsey and receive free news updates.