Police in the city of Hillsdale will soon have ballistic shields to protect themselves from shooters, and are considering radio system upgrades.

“We’ve got a lot of safety equipment, a lot of people trained for this,” Hillsdale Police Chief Scott Hephner said. “This is just the last little bit.”

The City Council approved the purchase of five new ballistic shields on Sept. 19, according to Hephner. He also advised the council of the need to upgrade the police radio system, Councilman Greg Stuchell said.

According to Hephner, the ballistic shields will be strong enough to withstand rifle fire. They cost a total of around $31,000, he said, but the money will come from the department’s budget, so no additional spending was required. 

The police department found “a gap” in its response to potential active-shooter situations, Hephner said, which prompted officials to consider purchasing ballistic shields. He said officials did not make this decision in response to threats at local schools this spring.

“It was more of doing some research regarding things nationally,” he said. Police have also been working with schools to prepare for a potential active-shooter situation, Hephner said. Officers attend staff meetings, and school officials inform police of recent developments and survival strategies.

“They know what we’re going to be doing when we get there,” Hephner said. “They’re always coming up with things you should do to ensure your best case of survivability.”

When school is not in session, according to Hephner, district leadership offers their buildings for police training. 

Hephner said aging police radios also pose a safety concern. Officers in the city of Hillsdale frequently run across interference or lose signal while on the job.

“We’re trying to upgrade; everybody else already has,” Hephner said. “It’s a public safety issue.”

The police department currently uses a VHF radio system, he said, while the state and surrounding counties operate on a newer “tried and true” 800 MHz system. This makes it difficult to communicate with agencies outside the county, which Hephner said puts officers on a “VHF island.”

“We may not be able to communicate with outside resources,” Stuchell said.

The city council and police department are exploring funding options, according to Stuchell, such as drawing from a budget surplus or state grant. 

“Public safety, as far as the city and council, they’re always taking that very seriously,” Councilman Tony Vear ‘82 said. 

A recent bond proposal to install an 800 MHz radio system across the county failed. Hephner said the proposal would require $11 million in funding.