Committee approves sheriff’s office donations, vehicle replacement and 911 maintenance contracts

The Winnebago County Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on April 6 authorized several actions for the sheriff’s office, including acceptance of donated ballistic vests for K9s, a budget transfer to replace a totaled squad car and two five-year maintenance agreements for 911 equipment and recordings.

Darren Rice, field services captain for the sheriff’s office, described a donation arranged through local partners that will provide ballistic vests valued at $3,500 each. Rice said the package amounts to $10,500 in vests while community donors covered most costs so the county’s out-of-pocket would be minimal.

The committee moved to accept the donation and approved the authorization by voice vote.

On fleet replacement, staff said a January crash totaled a three-year-old squad car. Repair estimates ranged from roughly $19,483 to $31,020, and the insurer offered a settlement payment of $17,562. The committee approved using remaining capital funds to replace the vehicle with a like model.

The committee also authorized the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office to enter into a five-year maintenance agreement with AT&T Enterprises LLC for 911 call‑handling hardware and software and a separate five‑year maintenance and recording agreement (vendor listed as WSI/business-incorporated name change). Members said vendor scheduling required moving up procurement to secure an earlier implementation slot; both motions passed by voice vote.

All votes recorded in the transcript were voice approvals; no roll-call tallies were read into the record.