[10/11/01]Vicksburg police may still be getting the global positioning transponders in patrol cars, but the project could be delayed at the request of the new police chief.

The Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 2-1 Wednesday to authorize advertising for bids for an Auto Vehicle Locator system. North Ward Alderman Gertrude Young voted against seeking the bids because, she has said, the system is not needed.

Vicksburg Police Chief Tommy Moffett, who took over the department last week after 29 years with the Biloxi Police Department, said he is not against putting the system in the police fleet, but said that the machines should not be used to take the place of supervisors.

“I want to have the opportunity to hold the supervisors accountable,” Moffett said.

Since taking office July 1, Mayor Laurence Leyens has been pushing for the system he says will help hold officers accountable and improve safety. He said he would be willing to hold off on the project if that is what Moffett wants.

“I want Chief Moffett to have the autonomy to run his department from top to bottom, and this is one of those items where we are caught between having made a decision and having a new manager in place,” Leyens said.

The system features devices that beam the precise locations of police cars based on global positioning satellites back to the police station or any other location the city designates. The system would also provide a history of where a police vehicle has been, including date, time and speed.

The cost of the system has varied since it was first announced, but is estimated to cost $415,000 to put the device in 65 patrol cars and six ambulances and rescue vehicles.

Leyens said the lack of an exact price is one reason why he wants to move forward on getting bids.

“We felt like that maybe it was appropriate to go ahead and take bids on the system and then we will revisit in a few months what is happening down at the department and whether or not you need the equipment,” Leyens said.

After the city advertises for bids, suppliers will have 30 days to put in offers. The city has 60 days after accepting the bids to award a contract to a company or start over in the process.

Moffett said he is planning changes at the department to help make officers more accountable. One thing Moffett said he plans is to make every officer who goes to a crime scene fill out a written report.

Some changes already in the works include reducing the size of the force from 100 to 74 over the next 12 months and increasing pay for officers.

Before coming to Vicksburg, Moffett had been chief of Biloxi’s 160 police officers since 1989. That department does not have an AVL system, he said.