LOCKPORT, N.Y. — In the City of Lockport, there are continued safety concerns over the police department's 911 line, which according to Niagara County Sheriff James Voutour, could go down at any moment.
So what's being done to make sure that doesn't happen?
Officials in Lockport recently met with members of the Niagara County Sheriff's Office to go over different options the city could take to either upgrade the system or turn over operations to the county.
That meeting happened on Friday in Lockport City Hall; we're just getting details on what was discussed.
According to Lockport Mayor Michelle Roman, the cost to upgrade the system is about $280,000. To join the county system, that would be $160,000 per year.
Some officials in Lockport say they want to upgrade the system now, because that would be the quicker option.
"This is a conversation that needs to take place with county, city politicians as well as the union of the Lockport Police Department and those conversations I think negotiations would be time consuming and I just don't think we have the luxury of that time," said Steven Preisch, chief of Lockport Police.
The police 911 line has been outdated since the early 2000s. There are three lines there but one of them is down, and another line doesn't even have caller ID.
Only landline 911 calls go to Lockport Police, cell phone calls go to the county, which is operated by the Niagara County Sheriff's Office.
Even if the system goes down, landline calls would end up going to the county.
Not in attendance at the meeting were Niagara County legislators.
Preisch says a follow up meeting is scheduled for next week and it's hoped that county legislators attend that meeting to give their say as to whether the county should take on the Lockport Police 911 line.