Qualcomm Inc. and Leap Wireless Aid Police Amid Budget Cuts

2010-03-20 · By Editor

Mayor Sanders recently announced and thanked Qualcomm Incorporated and Leap Wireless International Inc. for partnering to provide the San Diego Police Department with 200 mobile phones and two years of Cricket Wireless service. According to Sanders, ” …the two companies came together after hearing the news that the police department would be eliminating 200 cell phones from its budget to save money… a generous donation that will help maintain public safety at a time when the national recession is impacting the city’s budget.”

Leap and Qualcomm made the donation after learning that the Police Department was eliminating 200 mobile phones from its budget to save $300,000. The companies will donate the phones and two years’ worth of service.

“This is a tremendous act of corporate citizenship,” Mayor Sanders said. “I applaud Qualcomm and Leap for stepping up at a time when San Diego, like every other big city in the nation, is struggling with plummeting tax revenues.”

“The challenging economic conditions we are all faced with must not be allowed to stand in the way of vital law enforcement services for San Diego,” said Doug Hutcheson, Leap’s president and chief executive officer. “We are proud to help ensure our police officers’ communication link is unbroken by providing our Cricket phones and services. We also salute Qualcomm’s support of this commitment of Cricket services to the San Diego Police Department.”

“Mobile phones are essential tools that allow police officers to communicate in the field anytime and anywhere,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. “Qualcomm is honored to have the opportunity to support the outstanding and crucial services the San Diego

Police Department provides to our community.”

Several police units that were facing the loss of cell-phone service because of the budget cuts will use the phones. Those units include, among others, gang suppression, child abuse, auto theft, sex crimes and certain special patrols, including narcotics and crime suppression.

These mobile phones help police with a wide variety of tasks while out in the field, including keeping in touch with informants and requesting quick background checks on suspects. The donated phones are Samsung Messager II 3G high-speed messaging devices. Leap is providing the phone service through its Cricket Wireless service, which includes unlimited talk and text for $45 per month.

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