COSTA RICA PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS EVALUATION REPORT (05/18/70-05/24/70)

On-site observatns were made. Evaluator judges overall proj performance poor & recommends considerable changes as soon as time & funds permit. Indicated statn locatns are not necessarily correct & some are not operating. The 13 police telecommunicatns networks reflect a lack of long-range planning for maximum coverage utilizing the minimum number of radios and providing flexibility for expansn and cross communicatn compatibility. The administrative command and single sideband nets all are on different frequencies and should be placed on one frequency since they all service the same elements of the police and often have the radios located in the same room. Single sidebands nets are presently restricted to daytime use due to unusable nighttime frequencies. Radios of various nets are not in use due to a lack of ability to use them, lack of spare parts for repairs, and/or a preference not to use radios. Although the central warehouse is clean and orderly and stock control cards are accurate and up-to-date, the quantity of radios and other electronic equipmt not in use is excessive; the repair sectn is a confusion of spare parts; small hand tools are limited; work orders on equipmt deadlined or repaired are non-existant; and funds for repairs are limited and difficult to obtain. Recommendatns are to replace the present tech with a Spanish-speaking telecommunicatns advisor who will submit monthly reports and be under PSD supervisn. One frequency near the center of the assigned block should be country-wide frequency with one channel of all radios tuned to it. All low-band nets should be replaced with high bands on the same block of frequencies and consolidated into a single integrated country-wide backbone system linking San Jose with all sectns of Costa Rica. The number of statns should be increased; trng programs instituted; and lighted maps installed in control rooms. Further, implementatn should not commence until the Govt of Costa Rica has given assurance that it will comply with its part of the plan.