Lake County Technology Committee Meeting - November 19, 2025

The Lake County Technology Committee convened on November 19, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. to consider several significant technology contracts impacting the Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management Agency. The meeting featured presentations on consolidating body camera contracts, upgrading legacy radio systems to STARCOM interoperability, and implementing new digital screening technology for the jail. Member Frank participated remotely with a work-related qualifying reason. No public comments were received.

Consent Calendar

• Approved items 8.1 to 8.2 (unanimous motion by Robert, second by Altenberg).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were submitted or heard during the meeting.

Discussion Items

Item 8.3: Contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. ($3,266,815.82)

• Proposal Details: To consolidate four separate contracts into one five-year agreement for body-worn and interview room cameras for the Lake County Sheriff's Office. The contract includes fresh equipment refreshes every 30 months, unlimited Axon cloud storage, and 8 terabytes of la carte storage. It is a lease-to-own model.
• Speaker Positions:
  • Sheriff's Office Reps: Expressed strong support, stating that without this approval, there would be a significant price increase for all companies in 2026. They supported the move for efficiency and cost reduction.
  • Member Roberts: Expressed curiosity and support regarding audio capabilities (confirming audio is automatic upon activation) and storage capacity. Expressed full support for the inclusion of unlimited storage.
  • General Committee: Expressed approval of the equipment lifecycle management and the consolidation of contracts.

Item 8.4: Contract with Motorola Solutions Inc. ($1,829,365.45)

• Proposal Details: To lease and eventually own 150 VHF mobile radios (replacing legacy tech) and 26 STARCOM mobile radios for 176 total units. This replaces decade-old technology, enables dual-band (STARCOM and VHF) communication for redundancy and multi-channel monitoring, and utilizes a zero-interest municipal lease program.
• Speaker Positions:
  • Sheriff's Office Reps: Expressed full support, noting that legacy VHF technology is nearing obsolescence as few departments still use it. Position: Emphasized the operational necessity of listening to multiple channels simultaneously (e.g., one on portable, one in vehicle) during critical incidents to avoid missing traffic.
  • Member Hart: Expressed surprise and concern regarding the past lack of interoperability between body-worn STARCOM radios and vehicle-based VHF radios (stating they could not communicate). Expressed support for the redundancy and safety benefits of the new dual-band system.
  • Member Danford: Expresses full support for the encryption and interoperability features.
  • Member Roberts: Expressed curiosity about the necessity of dual radios (body vs. vehicle) and the lifespan, ultimately accepting the explanation regarding redundancy and operational awareness.

Item 8.5: Contract with Lenev Systems US Inc. ($187,531.87)

• Proposal Details: Purchase of a full-body digital security screening system for the jail's sally port to detect ingested contraband (drugs/metal) without invasive body cavity searches. The machine is ADA compliant. Maintenance is included for five years.
• Speaker Positions:
  • Sheriff's Office Reps: Expressed strong support, noting the system will reduce liability, improve hygiene (avoiding intrusive searches), and reduce costs (over $9,000 in medical bills last year for 5 people who ingested drugs). Position: Confirmed that pat-downs will still occur, but the scanner provides an extra layer of safety.
  • Member Hart: Expressed concern regarding the right to refuse a scan and potential legal liability. Position: Asked for clarification on whether inmates can refuse; noted they would likely be shocked if inmates were allowed entry without scanning.
  • Member Danford: Expressed support, stating it is 100% acceptable and hygienic, preventing the need for invasive searches or court-ordered cavity searches.
  • Member Roberts: Expressed curiosity regarding biometric laws in Illinois and whether inmates have the right to refuse. Position: Stated they would like a follow-up on the statute of refusal and legal standing.
  • Member Altenberg: Expressed support and stated they would be shocked if an inmate was allowed entry to the jail if they refused the scan.

Item 8.6: Contract with Motorola Solutions Inc. ($2,268,642.48)

• Proposal Details: Purchase of 241 portable radios (58 APX Next tri-band, 183 APX N70 single-band) for the Emergency Management Agency. The contract includes a seven-year warranty and covers 100% cost. Radios enable interoperability with law enforcement, fire, and public works on the STARCOM network.
• Speaker Positions:
  • Rebecca Kumar (Emergency Management): Expressed full support, highlighting the end-of-support date of old equipment and the need for interoperability across multiple agencies (police, fire, public works).
  • Member Danford: Expressed curiosity regarding the necessity of vehicle radios when portable units have similar range. Position: Questioned if one unit suffices; accepted the explanation that mobile units allow for simultaneous multi-channel monitoring (operational awareness) which portables cannot achieve due to priority channel limitations.
  • Member Roberts: Expressed full support and asked about warranty and replacement coverage, receiving confirmation of a seven-year warranty.

Key Outcomes

• Item 8.3 (Axon): Motion carries. Approved 5-year contract for $3,266,815.82.
• Item 8.4 (Sheriff's Radios): Motion carries. Approved 5-year lease-to-own for $1,829,365.45.
• Item 8.5 (Lenev Scanners): Motion carries. Approved 5-year contract for $187,531.87. Action Item: Committee members requested a follow-up from the Chief/Sheriff regarding the legal right of inmates to refuse scans and applicable Illinois statutes.
• Item 8.6 (Emergency Management Radios): Motion carries. Approved purchase for $2,268,642.48.
• Adjournment: Meeting adjourned; next meeting TBD due to holidays. Member Frank's remote attendance was noted as work-related. Member Roberts offered thanks and noted the flexibility required by the committee.