The Latrobe Police Department’s computer systems will be upgraded this year for $152,000.
The agency will purchase 17 Dell desktop computers, including computers for the evidence room used for organizing and inventorying, and computers for the agency’s federal law enforcement support network. The network will run a criminal record from Harrisburg after the arrest is processed.
This will be an upgrade for a department of 14 executives who share five computers and a server, said Beth Straka, director of community services.
The department’s emails were hacked with ransomware and malware last year, she said.
“Our servers were vulnerable to attacks long before they happened, and you don’t realize it until something is compromised,” Straka said. “What a nightmare.”
She applied for a $152,000 state grant to help the department upgrade its computers. The city recently learned that it has received funding.
“This will completely redefine the police IT infrastructure,” said Latrobe Police Sgt. Mr. Robert Dark, who will be the police chief and deputy police chief from September. “We are currently working on an old server that is about 10 years old and is pretty broken.”
We also plan to use the grant money to buy and install two more secure servers.
“I am very happy to receive the award,” said Straka. “Thanks to this grant, we are finally able to move into the technology year 2023. With inflation and budget constraints, this would not have been possible.”
The department should have everything in place by June, Straka said.
Haley Daugherty is a staff writer for Tribune-Review. 724-850-1203 or she can contact Haley at hdaugherty@triblive.com.
