As a member of the Amateur Radio Emergency Services [1], I sometimes question the need for such given modern, reliable digital radio available to government agencies. Then something like this happens. Still, a backup was made available, and what would the alternative be? Stick a ham in every cop car? (It's my understanding that it has been done.)

In the end, though, Detroit had a backup system but no one tested it despite a maintenance contract? How many other systems does Motorola have out there that they're collecting money on but never test?

[1] http://www.arrl.org/ares