New mobile data terminals boost safety and efficiency for Livingston County Sheriff’s Office
Tony Childress has served and protected in Livingston County, Illinois, for more than a quarter-century.
With one overarching—and non-negotiable—mandate.
“I’ve been with the Sheriff’s Office for 26 years, and I’ve been sheriff for two-and-a-half, but officer safety has been paramount with me from Day One right through to today, and it will continue that way as long as I’m here,” he says.
With 1,043 square miles to patrol, the 30 officers with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office have the fourth-largest coverage area in the state of Illinois—a logistical challenge at the best of times. But thanks to a recent technology boost, safety and efficiency just took a big leap forward.
With help from a $10,000 community investment grant from Enbridge, the sheriff’s department was able to purchase several mobile data terminals for use in and out of squad cars—helping investigators receive and disseminate new information on the fly.
“It makes for a safer and smoother transition of information,” says Childress. “Now, rather than tying up the radio and having the bad guys listening on scanners, our investigators in the field can run their information quietly via computer. It makes for a safer atmosphere all-around.”
Enbridge is committed to improving quality of life in the communities near our projects and operations. In 2016, we paid nearly $3 million in property, sales-and-use and other taxes across Illinois, and invested nearly $145,000 in community-strengthening initiatives in the Land of Lincoln.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office has been using its new mobile computers since February.
“We can’t thank Enbridge enough for this donation, and for being our partner in our community,” says Childress. “It really means a lot to us.”
