The Maplesville Town Council voted Monday to purchase handheld radios for the town’s police department in order to be part of the same communications system as other municipalities in Chilton County.

The council approved buying seven SouthernLINC handheld radios for about $850 each (five for the police department’s officers, one spare for part-time employees and one to be kept in town hall).

Police Chief Todd Ingram said SouthernLINC will provide the department’s police cars with mobile radio units at no cost to the town, and the town may pay for the handheld radios in increments as opposed to all at once.

The changeover is occurring through Chilton County E911 to ensure all municipalities’ police and fire departments have access to emergency calls.

“If we don’t [switch], we’d have to have our own communications,” Ingram said. “You’ve got to do it.”