LaSalle County public‑safety and dispatch staff asked the Finance Committee on Sept. 15 to include about $1.3 million in next year’s public‑safety budget to replace the county’s aging portable and mobile radios after recent incidents in which deputies could not reach dispatch.

The request follows multiple incidents this spring and summer in which officers struggled to call for backup or report their locations because of poor reception. "When they cannot reach dispatch, their chances of having a catastrophic incident increase exponentially," a dispatch representative told the committee. She summarized the rationale this way: "The expense to replace the outdated equipment is well worth the investment knowing that we are saving the lives of our deputies and bringing them home to their families at the end of the day."

County staff and Motorola Solutions representatives demonstrated an Apex Next model and said the radios combine a P25 radio core with LTE capability so a radio that cannot reach a radio tower will attempt an LTE path back into the county talk groups. Motorola described features that county staff said improved coverage in field tests: automatic switching to LTE or Wi‑Fi when conventional radio coverage failed, an integrated location display, over‑the‑air programming, and so‑called "talk assist" voice commands that let a user change settings without looking down at a device. "This radio is smart enough that if it can sense and detect that it doesn't have the right radio coverage, it will automatically look for other ways that it can find that coverage through LTE or through Wi Fi," a Motorola presenter said in the meeting.

What happened: County staff recounted three episodes in which deputies or corporals were engaged in high‑risk stops or pursuits and had difficulty contacting dispatch or requesting backup because of poor reception. In those incidents officers reported being unable to reach dispatch to say where they were; one search turned up a loaded handgun and another located a knife on a person detained, the dispatch representative said.

What staff tested: Motorola loaned three different radio models for about six weeks and the county logged reception and clarity. Dispatch staff reported the Apex Next radios reached dispatch about 95% of the time in test areas where the current radios had little or no usable reception.

Cost and scope: County staff presented a vendor quote that lists portables, mobiles and programming/installation totaling $1,227,144.83; staff rounded that figure and recommended budgeting $1.3 million to allow for contingencies and potential additional units. The quote in committee identified 57 portables as part of the order; staff noted that squad installations and accessories (holsters, chargers, batteries) add to the work and avoid later rework. A seven‑year manufacturer warranty was cited.

Ongoing costs and interoperability: County staff and Motorola said the Apex radios can operate on the statewide Starcom P25 network and also use FirstNet LTE as a fallback. Committee members asked about monthly network fees; Motorola gave published Starcom/FirstNet rate estimates in the meeting that roughly matched the county's current monthly spend per unit (staff cited approximately $46 per portable and about $23 per vehicle as published rates). Staff said the county already pays monthly access fees and that switching vendors or networks would change who the county pays but not eliminate monthly network costs.

Procurement and vendor roles: Motorola Solutions representatives said the Apex Next radios are available through an Illinois state contract (Starcom procurement vehicle). The county attorney told the committee that purchases under an approved state contract do not require a county RFP, though the county may elect to bid if it prefers. The county's current installer for car installs, Nicholson 1 Radio, would perform vehicle installations, staff said.

Committee action and next steps: The Finance Committee did not vote to buy radios at the Sept. 15 meeting (the radio purchase was not on the meeting agenda). Committee members directed staff to include the $1.3 million estimate in the 2026 public‑safety budget materials and to bring back any final pricing or shared‑purchase opportunities with nearby agencies before final budget action. The county also discussed exploring bulk purchases with neighboring agencies to reduce unit costs.

Why it matters: County staff said most of the sheriff's office portables and mobile radios are 15–27 years old and lack modern fallback paths. Staff framed the upgrade as a public‑safety priority tied to officers' ability to call for help, provide location, and coordinate multi‑agency responses.

What remains open: Final purchased models, the exact number of units, and whether the county ultimately acquires Starcom service for all units remain to be decided as the item moves through the 2026 budgeting process. The county attorney said the state contract is a permissible procurement route but the committee may still choose to request bids. The committee asked staff to return with maps of current and proposed coverage and any revised cost estimates before final budget votes.

Sources: County Finance Committee meeting transcript, Sept. 15, 2025; vendor representatives from Motorola Solutions; county dispatch staff."