This Ping-Pong game has gone on too long. Gov. Carper already has accused Republicans of using the 800 megahertz radio problems to create a partisan political stink. That may be so, but it's no reason to let the problem go uncorrected while public safety personnel remain in harm's way. The governor and special committee should agree to hire an outside consultant now to review all the work Motorola has done, and to ensure the emergency radio system will work as expected. They won't as long as Republicans continue to entertain new complaints from firefighters and emergency personnel, which may or may not be legitimate operational difficulties.
Some problems remain with users of the complicated devices.
Others are simply cellular transmission problems, something that can never be 100 percent perfect. The state needs an expert opinion on what the public should expect the 800 megahertz system to do, not what the governor's office, Motorola or a select group of legislators say. Upgrade now and renovate later. Within the week, Delaware State President William B. DeLauder announced the university would hire a consultant to study the feasibility of upgrading the security department to a full-fledged police department. Dr. Delauder has fulfilled his promise to move quickly to upgrade the university's security force.