Oklahoma City public safety sales tax set to expire in March

<br>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A half-cent sales tax set aside for public safety has allowed an upgrade of emergency warning systems, police cars and a communications system for Oklahoma City, officials said.

Monday, December 2nd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A half-cent sales tax set aside for public safety has allowed an upgrade of emergency warning systems, police cars and a communications system for Oklahoma City, officials said.

The tax, which began in March 2000, will expire in March. A seven-year tax approved by voters as part of the MAPS for Kids project system will replace it.

``I think it's been great for the city,'' Mayor Kirk Humphreys said of the tax, which raised $76.2 million. ``A lot of the things it's paid for, we've seen come on-line.''

Humphreys said a new storm siren system and replacement of the police fleet probably wouldn't have happened without the tax.

Before the tax, police officers had complained of aging cars, some with holes in the floorboards and with more than 200,000 miles on the odometer.

``The fleet is in much better shape than it once was,'' said Maj. W.B. Taylor, who helped coordinate the tax-funded improvements. ``And we have a five-year replacement plan as part of this tax. This gave officers dependable vehicles, and that allows them to give a more dependable response to citizens.''

The tax has paid for the addition of 315 vehicles to the police fleet since 2000. The money also paid for new police helicopters, paddy wagons, a bomb trailer and lake patrol boats.

The fire department has used the tax proceeds to buy or order 70 additions to its fleet, including a mobile command post, six pumper trucks, two emergency response vehicles and 33 support vehicles.

The tax also funded the $4.5 million siren system that now provides residents warning of severe weather throughout the city's 622 square miles. The old storm system had 44 aging sirens clustered in the central part of the city. The new system has 181 sirens.

The new radio system is considered the best example of a project that wouldn't have been possible without the special capital funding, Assistant City Manager Jim Thompson said.

During the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building and during the May 3, 1999, tornadoes, police and fire officials had trouble communicating with each other on the outdated system.

The city hired a consultant to design a $24.3 million, 800-megahertz system that will allow Oklahoma City's police and fire officials to talk with up to 50 other jurisdictions _ even if the other municipalities are using older radio equipment.

Also under way is an upgrade to the records system used by the police and fire departments and municipal courts. Planning began last spring.