27 MAY 09: I Will Follow Him

In the classic words of Bugs Bunny: "Didya ever have the feeling you was being watched?" I've felt that way over the last couple of days - but the right "mal-ware" program can clear away pop-up boxes, so you can ignore those silly warnings about computer viruses.

The watching with computers has moved to a new level at the Lee County Sheriff's Department. Dispatchers now can follow patrol cars, and track their locations on a map. It's almost like following a NASCAR race -- only better, because you can actually communicate with the drivers on their radios.

The Lee County tracking system relies on GPS devices in the cars of sheriff's officers. The devices record not only a location, but the time of day and how fast a patrol car is going. At last, there's a way to figure which cars really have the best acceleration from zero to 60.

Lee County Sheriff's officers say the GPS tracking system came in handy during a recent high-speed chase. A deputy followed a suspect into Russell County, then couldn't figure out where he was. Dispatchers helped the deputy find his way back to Opelika - which saved the embarrassment of using a law officer's notepad to write down directions to U.S. 280.

Another advantage of the GPS tracking system is that Lee County dispatchers can figure out quickly which sheriff's deputy is closest to an emergency call. This can reduce response time, potentially save the county gas money - and possibly start an in-house game of "closest to the pin-in."

Top-level officers in Lee County praise the GPS tracking system. But I suspect a few deputies quietly are grumbling about it. After all, they now can be tracked throughout their shift - and a sneaky side trip to a doughnut shop can't be kept secret anymore.

Then there are the groups which might be longing for the same GPS tracking system, to follow Lee County deputies on their own. Imagine the fun Auburn University fraternity houses could have, if members knew where the DUI checkpoints are set up.

This technology also opens the door for legal challenges to the Lee County Sheriff's Department. Attorneys might be able to argue their clients didn't speed, since patrol cars followed them at the speed limit. In fact, the deputy might get cited for following too closely.

The next logical step in this process is for Lee County patrol cars to have dashboard cameras connected to the GPS tracking system. Then dispatchers can see what deputies are doing at all times -- and offer unusual video immediately to the TV series "Cops."

I've heard some people express concerns about having bosses track them on the job, either with cameras or GPS devices. But perhaps the new technology in the Lee County Sheriff's office will make them feel better. Now "Big Brother" is being watched every bit as much as he's watching you.

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E-MAIL UPDATE: We had a link Tuesday to another blog, which quoted a Muscogee County School Board member. That quote brought a question our way....

Hi Richard:

Is that quote from Dr Schley accurate? Is the School Board going to issue $220 million in new bonds and fund all projects if the SPLOST passes? I'm sure they will save some money but I doubt they will close the projected $50 million gap between likely taxes collected and what they hope to collect.

Will we be voting in September on a list of projects that will be completed no matter how long it takes to pay off or will we be voting on a 5 year tax with actual monies collected to be spent based on a critical need basis?

Or to put it more simply, just what is the School Board promising this time?

From Dick's World:

Dr. Philip Schley says the new SPLOST will avoid those costly delays for new projects by selling bonds this time. Projects listed in the 2003 SPLOST took so long to complete because money could not be spent until taxes were collected. There will be no need to wait this time since bond money can be spent all at one time. The bonds will be paid off as taxes are collected.

I have to assume Philip Schley was quoted accurately. After all, Dick McMichael is a retired journalist who tries to get his facts straight. But then, there was that classic night in the late 1990s when he said at 6:00 p.m., "Good evening, I'm Dee Armstrong" - and Dee Armstrong wasn't even on the set.

We admittedly skipped the public forums on the proposed school sales tax, and Superintendent Susan Andrews's blog doesn't answer this specific question. But the priority list of projects isn't final, beyond the replacement of Carver High School. So there are still more than three months to sort out what's a "need," what's a "want" and what should stay at Imagination Station.

The Muscogee County Schools' web site now has a "SPLOST Penny Watch" button. We clicked it late Tuesday night, but only found details about the 2003 school sales tax -- and some of the technology projects won't be finished until the end of this year. The "Novell Migration" apparently has to wait until the weather turns cooler this fall.

Now for other news from a nice and comfortable late May day:

+ The highest court in The Netherlands cleared the way for accused killer Michael Registe to be extradited to Columbus. There's only one way Registe might be able to work out a plea deal, and it's a longshot. Has he met anybody in the Caribbean who saw Natalie Holloway?

(Don't you love the name of the Chief Prosecutor in the Windward Islands - Taco Stein? It sounds like something you should get for a souvenir at Locos Amigos Cantina.)

+ Columbus Water Works asked Columbus Council for permission to issue a $43 million bond issue. Some of the money will be used to build a new water line to Fort Benning - where I'm sure a small leak will be included on purpose, to add a swamp to the Best Ranger competition.

+ The evening news reported the intersection of Broad and Dillingham Streets in Phenix City has delays this week for repaving. Oh no, not again! Is this how the city is making up for finishing Streetscape $10,000 under the final budget?

+ WRBL changed the programming on digital channel 3.2 from "24/7 Weather" to the Retro Television Network. Think of RTN as TV Land, only with several even more obscure shows.

(This change seems to mean WRBL is giving up the weather fight on digital TV. It's either that, or the name will change to something like "15/5 Weather.")

+ Columbus swept Carrollton, to advance to the Georgia high school baseball finals. The games were moved to Columbus State University, due to wet grounds at the high school. WRBL actually suggested Monday night the games might be moved to Golden Park - which would have been shocking, because usually games are moved FROM there.

+ Instant Message to Alabama Governor Bob Riley: I thought you were trying to save the state money. But when I see you at a Montgomery media event and there are TWO big microphones at the speaker's stand, you're not trying hard enough.

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