Jersey City officials outline $39M plan to replace emergency radio system; weapons destruction and maintenance contracts on agenda

Jersey City officials presented plans to finance and install a new public-safety radio system and brought forward several related contract resolutions during the Municipal Council caucus on Jan. 27, 2025.

The Department of Public Safety asked the council to authorize a five-year lease-purchase agreement, with a final balloon payment, to buy and upgrade radio equipment and servers for police, fire and other city users. Department staff said the total lease value would be $39,000,000 and that the city already has funds set aside to cover the first two years of payments.

City staff described the project as a full replacement and upgrade of aging equipment “at minimum 18 years old,” adding that the new system includes encryption compatibility with federal standards and statewide interoperability. Staff said the replacement will also move public-safety servers onto a virtualized platform — a change they expect will reduce air-conditioning, power and maintenance costs and eliminate multiple legacy maintenance contracts.

Officials described a phased transition during which both old and new systems will run in parallel until the city is satisfied with performance. A staff member estimated a conservative full transition window of 12–24 months, but said some technical staff expect initial cutover work to begin sooner. Supply-chain constraints were cited as the primary reason council members should expect a multi-year rollout despite the five-year financing arrangement.

Officials also presented a resolution to contract with Sims Metal Management to dispose of 200 firearms that the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office and the Jersey City Police Department have authorized for destruction. Staff said the demolition/disposition would occur under police supervision.

In addition, staff asked the council to ratify existing maintenance agreements for public-safety systems through SHI International Corp. and related vendors to maintain dispatch, records and radio equipment while the city completes the procurement and implementation work.

Council members pressed staff on timeline details, antenna locations and continuity of service while the swap takes place. A council member raised a coverage concern reported as a “dead spot” in the Heights; staff acknowledged the issue and said antenna placement has been adjusted to address it but declined to disclose exact locations for security reasons.

All items were presented at the caucus for discussion and scheduling on the formal council agenda; no formal council votes were recorded at the caucus meeting.