The Dearborn Heights City Council on Nov. 25 approved renewing a Cellebrite contract for digital extraction and added an option to purchase phone‑unlocking services to shorten investigative turnaround times.

The original contract renewal was listed at $10,285, but police and investigators said outside partners and the State Police are backed up, sometimes taking months to unlock devices. The council debated whether to pay an additional roughly $5,000 to get unlocking capability (15 unlocks included in the vendor offer). Police representatives said the tool is used in serious cases — assaults, homicide investigations, school threat inquiries and terrorism‑related matters — and that unlocking can be crucial to active investigations.

Councilmembers raised concerns about using forfeiture funds because the forfeiture balance is declining and the city’s interim comptroller urged caution. After discussion, a motion to approve the upgraded package at $15,535 (which includes unlocking capability) passed unanimously; the council directed the mayor and clerk to sign and authorized payment from the forfeiture account.

Council members who supported the upgrade emphasized the public‑safety benefits; others praised the department’s cautious stewardship of forfeiture funds and said the city should assign a task‑force officer to replenish the account in the future.