ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — Efforts continue to further radio communications between Ector County and community partners. Those efforts have gone on since the Midland-Odessa mass shooting in August of 2019.
On Tuesday, Ector County commissioners approved an interlocal agreement with Midland County and the Cities of Midland and Odessa.
“It’s indicative of the cooperation between Midland and Odessa; Midland and Ector County," said Dustin Fawcett, Ector County judge.
Communication is key -- and for law enforcement -- it’s everything.
“Working together amongst all of our law enforcement operations it’s about cooperation," Judge Fawcett said. "We all live in the 'Petroplex' together, and so working together is the best avenue forward.”
Judge Fawcett said the agreement is another step towards completing a network of communication between law enforcement that includes school police and state troopers.
“What we have done among the four entities is all gotten on the same channels, we have the same technologies and now we are looking at similar infrastructure to bridge all of the gaps," Judge Fawcett said. "We’re talking about actual hardware – essentially lines in the ground that will enable the communication to be most optimum.”
A committee of all four entities has also been established to keep conversation moving forward.
“While we’re talking about infrastructure communication, it also means talking amongst the entities and some of that is going to be upgrades to the equipment," Judge Fawcett said. "Having that communication piece and really working together and coming up with a strategic plan in years forward and how to budget those projects is what the role of this committee is going to be.”
These efforts are yet another example of increased collaboration in the heart of the Permian Basin.
“People have put aside egos and put instead what’s best for their constituents, for their citizens, for their taxpayers – they prioritize that over whatever their specific territory is -- and we put aside all of that, whether that’s between the counties and the cities or whether it’s between the two community’s counties and that’s not always been the case historically," said Judge Fawcett.