Grant provides Long Beach police with new radios

Long Beach will receive 75 radios that will allow the city’s police department to better communicate with other public safety agencies.

A $300,000 grant from the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services will pay for the equipment, city officials said.

The radios will allow city police improved communication with the city’s fire department and lifeguards, as well as any police agency in Nassau County, officials said. The equipment will also make it possible for police to more effectively communicate with state and national agencies when necessary, officials said.

“Interoperability among all emergency responders is vital when it comes to saving lives,” Long Beach Police Commissioner Michael Tangney said in a statement. “Communication on these radios is fully encrypted for enhanced security, and every officer will have one, increasing accountability.”

Programming and installation of the radios was included in the grant, city officials said.