BLOOMINGTON - Bloomington Mayor Steve Stockton said Thursday that he's looking forward to the results of discussions between area police agencies about the performance of communication systems during the July 3 gun scare at State Farm Insurance Cos. | Debriefing's agenda not just communication issues

Officials from the Bloomington and Normal police departments, the McLean County sheriff's department and Illinois State Police met for a debriefing Thursday morning.

Normal Police Chief Kent Crutcher said Thursday that a joint media release would be issued following another meeting Friday between Bloomington police and State Farm. Reports would also be sent to the Bloomington and Normal city councils, officials said.

"It went well and we're moving forward," Crutcher said after Thursday's meeting.

The meetings come a week after Normal and McLean County raised concerns about the performance of Bloomington's emergency communication system during the scare, prompted by what is believed to be a service worker carrying an object mistaken for a weapon by a passer-by.

"The (Bloomington) City Council asked for a report about how this issue manifested and what specific problems there were," Stockton told The Pantagraph on Thursday.

Possible changes in radio systems should not be ruled out by the Bloomington, Normal and McLean County police agencies, he said.

Normal and McLean County police use the Starcom 21 system, which also is used by Illinois State Police. Bloomington has used a different radio network since 2006, when the city left the Metcom countywide emergency dispatch system.

Last week, McLean County Sheriff Mike Emery and Crutcher told The Pantagraph that Bloomington officers inside the building were unable to communicate with police outside. Emery and Crutcher said Bloomington command staff declined the use of portable Starcom 21 radios.

Bloomington police have since expressed confidence in the system used by its officers.

"If there are problems so serious that it threatens communications, either we need to go to Starcom or they need to go back to a standard system," said Stockton.

Bloomington police spokesman Duane Moss declined to release the details of Thursday's meeting between Crutcher, Emery, Bloomington Police Chief Roger Aiken and Illinois State Police District 6 Commander Sue Jansky.

"I don't know the outcome of the meeting. The fact they're sitting down and talking about this is a positive thing," said Normal Mayor Chris Koos on Thursday.

Moss said Bloomington police officials will meet with State Farm representatives Friday morning. A summary of both meetings will be prepared for the mayor and council, said Moss.