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Finance panel accepts $139,600 community policing microgrant to fund phone-forensics software
Summary
The Waukesha Finance Committee unanimously approved acceptance of a $139,600 2025 Community Policing Development microgrant to deploy CellBright forensic software and a server, which staff said will speed multi-device analysis for opioid and other investigations; the city would pay roughly $46,000 annually to keep the system after a two-year trial.
Assistant Chief Tom Wagner told the Waukesha Finance Committee the Police Department was awarded a $139,600 2025 Community Policing Development microgrant to support implementation of CellBright, a forensic software and server that can process multiple mobile devices simultaneously.
The tool, Wagner said, will allow investigators to cross-link information across phones and search data more quickly, which staff expect will be particularly useful in opioid-related deaths and related criminal investigations. “This is basically enhanced program where instead of processing, like, one phone at a time, it can actually process multiple phones and cross link the information,” Wagner said.
Wagner told the committee the grant covers the two-year license and server at no cost to the police department during the award period; if the department chooses to continue the service after the trial, he provided a vendor quote estimating annual ongoing costs of about $46,000. “The grant actually provides a server…a lot of the costs upfront are covered by the grant, but then ongoing operating,” Wagner said.
Alderman Lemke moved to accept the microgrant; Alderperson Helvinslaven seconded. The committee approved the acceptance by voice vote, with the chair announcing the item passed unanimously. The acceptance authorizes the city to receive the grant and deploy the two-year trial; the committee did not take action on any future, post-grant funding for the software.
The committee did not record any formal conditions on usage in the minutes; staff said they will evaluate the tool during the two-year period to determine whether continued purchase is warranted and to include any required costs in a future budget.
