The McMinnville Safety Committee voted to renew a one-year subscription to Cellebrite, a digital-forensics tool, for $13,001.98 after staff said the city's subscription had lapsed and the device cannot be used while past due.

Committee members said the software and associated phone-unlock capabilities are used in local criminal investigations. A staff member said the tool “has helped in homicide cases and child-abuse investigations,” and that the original hardware was purchased in 2024 with a grant that covered the initial purchase and first year of service. Staff told the committee the subscription renewal was not included in the current budget and that the account is currently past due, preventing local use.

Staff said they renegotiated some of the phone-unlock provisions to reduce the price but that the revised quote still totaled $13,001.98. A committee member asked whether the department could find money elsewhere in the budget; staff indicated they could attempt to do so. The committee also discussed staffing: a member asked whether the department was short-staffed, and staff replied there were three open positions as of July 1.

A motion to renew the subscription was made and seconded; the chair called for the vote and members present responded “Aye,” after which the committee approved the renewal. No roll-call vote or individual tallies were recorded in the meeting transcript.

The committee did not specify which grant paid for the 2024 purchase, nor did it identify the funding source that will cover this year’s renewal. The committee adjourned after the vote.