Roswell police's dispatch and records system has frequent outages, the city says. A $1 million federal grant and $1 million in city money would replace it.
Roswell is set to replace the computer system its police use to dispatch officers and keep records. The city says the current one is outdated, goes down often and lacks proper support from its vendor.
The Mayor and City Council will vote Monday, Oct. 26, on accepting a $1 million federal grant toward the work. The city must match it with $1 million of its own, for a total project cost of $2 million. The details are in the agenda item for the Oct. 26 meeting. Staff recommend approval.
What is wrong with the current system
The system is known as CAD/RMS, short for computer-aided dispatch and records management. Dispatchers use it to send officers to calls. Officers use it to file and look up reports.
The city’s agenda item says the current system:
- is outdated
- experiences frequent service outages
- lacks adequate vendor support
The city said those problems “hamper response times and increase operational risk” for Roswell’s roughly 92,000 residents. It said they also affect neighboring jurisdictions that rely on coordinated response and mutual aid.
What the new system would do
According to the agenda item, the replacement would:
- exchange data in real time
- combine voice, text and video in one system
- make record keeping and reporting simpler
- improve coordination with mutual aid partners
- improve response times during critical incidents
The agenda does not name a vendor or give a date for the switch.
Where the money comes from
The $1 million comes from the U.S. Department of Justice as Community Project Funding. The city’s resolution names it as an award under the FY2026 COPS Technology and Equipment Program, through the department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.
| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Justice grant | $1,000,000 |
| City of Roswell match | $1,000,000 |
| Total project cost | $2,000,000 |
The agenda item says the city’s $1 million match is already available in its capital projects fund. The resolution says the match was budgeted in the city’s earlier six-month capital budget. A budget amendment on the same vote would set up the grant money in the city’s federal grant fund. The Roswell Police Department would run the project.
Also on Monday’s agenda
- The 2027 budget. Finance Director Adam Novotney is scheduled to present the mayor’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget. It is a presentation only, with no vote. The city has not posted the document. Its budget calendar sets out what follows (see below).
- Two smaller grants. The council will also consider applying for a $10,000 Georgia Municipal Association Partners in Safety grant and a federal Bulletproof Vest Partnership grant for police.
- An ethics report. City Attorney Joseph Cusack is listed to report to the mayor and council on an ethics investigation. The agenda gives no other detail.
All items are on the full Oct. 26 agenda.
What it means for you
- No switch date yet. The agenda gives no date for the new system to go live.
- The cost is shared. Half the $2 million is federal money. The city says its half was set aside in an earlier capital budget. Our story on the 2026 property tax rate explains what the city levies.
- Have your say on the budget. The council meets at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 38 Hill St., and the meeting is open to the public. After Monday, the city’s calendar lists:
- budget workshops Friday, Nov. 6, and Friday, Nov. 20, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- the budget’s first reading at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9
- the second reading and vote at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7
The city says the schedule may change. Questions go to budget@roswellgov.com. - Follow police activity on our Police and Fire log.
Have your say