The laptops represent “a change in philosophy” for the Aurora Police Department, according to Jeff Anderson, the city’s deputy chief information officer, who said they are moving away from shared squad car computers and desktops in the office toward a laptop for each police officer. He said for the Aurora Fire Department, it would be a laptop in every vehicle, which Anderson called “a change of process for them as well.”
Aldermen will vote on a $1.58 million contract to buy 349 Getac laptops and accessories with CDW-G Corp. of Vernon Hills.
The city had budgeted $450,000 for the new technology, and Martin Lyons, Aurora’s chief financial officer, agreed it is a big jump to go from that to $1.58 million. But he called it a great investment because it not only replaces old equipment, but will make the work of police officers more efficient and easier.
Lyons has said the city is able to afford the increase by using Emergency Telephone System Board, or ETSB, money, which is raised from a tax on cell phone and land telephone lines for emergency communications. Lyons said thanks to the city extricating itself from Kane County’s ETSB and joining with Naperville, the city was able to upgrade its ZIP code data and is bringing in more money each year.
When the city made the change, it went from bringing in about $1 million a year to about $2.3 million, which is making things much better for emergency communications funding over the long term, Lyons has said.
The City Council’s Finance Committee recommended the contract, and aldermen on the Committee of the Whole this week appeared to support it.
But Ald. Judd Lofchie, 10th Ward, questioned if the city had consulted enough police officers about the change. He called it a big expenditure that needed more “feedback from the police.”
“I talked to a lot of policemen,” Lofchie said. “My understanding is it’s not the laptops but the software.”
Alex Alexandrou, the city’s chief management officer, said in January, the city did “an extensive review” of the new equipment with police officers. It included much field testing with both police officers and firefighters, he said.
Mayor Richard Irvin said the decision was made after much study with “both police and fire.”
“They think this is what they want,” he said.
©2020 The Beacon-News (Aurora, Ill.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
