EVERY police officer in North Yorkshire is being given a new radio in an attempt to solve communications problems.

The force has begun to hand out 1,124 new personal-issue radios to front-line officers, a process which is expected to take at least five weeks to complete.

The new radios are smaller and lighter than current radios but the force say their greatest asset is that they are new.

Existing radios which are eight or nine years old actually have a recommended life of only five years.

They would not have lasted until 2001 when the new national encoded radio system is expected to come on line in the county so a stop-gap measure had to be found.

Senior officers believe the new radios are more reliable and have a clearer reception and their £600,000 cost includes supporting equipment for radios and new relay stations.

North Yorkshire Police have been trying for months to solve the problems of their troubled communications system and Assistant Chief Constable Peter Walker was assigned to deal with the situation.

For several years officers have complained about blackspots and radio interference. The force has lobbied at national level to be one of the first in the country to come on line with the new national Public Safety Radio Communications Project (PSRCP) and that has been achieved.

But the new radios will mean better communications before PSRCP arrives.

Each officer will now have his or her own radio and will be responsible for its upkeep. Previously radios were kept at police stations and shared out as needed.

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