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Board approves police equipment grants and transport-van purchase; questions noted about transcript figures
Summary
The Elkhart City Board of Public Safety approved a federal surplus grant purchase of an Aurora 1st Defender scanner, ratified use of a 2025 JAG grant for Axon Standards software, and approved purchase of a replacement prisoner transport van; transcript contains inconsistent numeric figures for some items.
The Elkhart City Board of Public Safety on April 28 approved several police equipment and grant actions, including a federal surplus acquisition of an Aurora 1st Defender explosive‑materials scanner and ratification of JAG grant funds for software integration.
Dan Melonase of the Oak Park Police Department told the board the Aurora scanner “helps us to detect any kind of material that would be used for any kind of EOD or explosive‑type devices,” and described the device as a tool to improve officer and public safety. The board approved a motion that, as recorded in the meeting, authorized spending $3,191 for the scanner and gave Captain Snyder permission to sign procurement documents on the city’s behalf.
Melonase also requested ratification of a JAG grant awarded in 2025 to purchase Axon Standards, software intended to consolidate pursuits, complaints, use‑of‑force reporting and related data. The board ratified use of $23,745.33 from the JAG award to implement Axon Standards; Melonase said the legal department and the mayor’s office had already reviewed the request.
Separately, Josh Holman of the Elkhart City central garage presented a request to replace a prisoner transport van that had experienced major engine failure. Holman said he located a new vehicle in Warsaw that already includes many factory options required for prisoner transport and that a local vendor will perform the final upfitting. The board moved to approve the purchase and the motion passed. The purchase amount in the transcript is recorded as “5,252,000 dollars $580”; the transcript phrasing is unclear, and meeting materials should be consulted for the definitive contract price. Holman said any additional upfitting costs should be small compared with a full replacement.
All three motions passed on roll call. The approvals followed brief discussion and indicated coordination with legal review and mayoral staff where required.
The board did not take further action on other police policy changes at the meeting.
