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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Commander Bill Rowley, Aurora Police Department
DATE: August 27, 2025
SUBJECT:
A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to enter into a purchase agreement with Five Eight Group, of Queen Creek, AZ for the procurement of a drive test scanner for the Aurora Police Department, in a total amount not to exceed $170,000.
PURPOSE:
To procure a drive test scanner system to be used by the Aurora Police Department to assist in the location of missing persons and wanted fugitives.
BACKGROUND:
The police department is tasked with the investigation of crimes and the location of missing endangered persons. Frequently these incidents require APD investigators to attempt to locate criminal offenders or missing persons with urgency, as there is often a continuing concern for harm to self or others.
In the case of criminal offenders, the need to locate offenders in a timely manner is often critical in their safe apprehension and a successful investigation into their criminal behavior. Additionally, evidence which confirms or refutes their proximity to a crime scene is imperative during an investigation and often must be obtained quickly.
In the case of missing and endangered citizens, the need for swift and accurate location of these persons is also paramount, so that officers can intercede and provide life-saving services. Examples of missing and endangered people include abductions, suicidal subjects, and elder adults who may wander from a retirement home or caregiver.
In this era of modern technology, resources are available which allow law enforcement officers to utilize equipment like those employed by cellular telephone providers in a way that allows police to have an enhanced view of call detail records associated with various cellular towers.
This technology helps law enforcement officers obtain call detail records with cell site data, which allows police to develop patterns of life, see if a suspect's cell phone was in the area of crime during a relevant time frame, or locate an endangered missing person with known cell phone credentials. Current solutions allow law enforcement officers to view standard cell site mapping, which can provide a general location of a cell tower and a cell phone antenna relative to that site.
The police department has used this technology since 2021 and utilizes Trax, a solution provided by LexisNexis. The Trax solution provides this "generalized" data which must be verified by secondary hardware and software to allow for a more reliable, efficient, and redundant method for this data collection. This enhanced technology, also known as drive test scanner data, provides a more direct picture of times and locations related to call detail, and can allow officers to pinpoint a location with greater accuracy. This drive test scanner is intended for use in concert with our current Trax system.
This Trax / drive test scanner system does not provide "real time" tracking of the general public and is not used to surveil citizens or encroach upon personal privacy. Its use is exclusive to the task of geo-locating offenders involved in a crime or the location of missing and endangered citizens. Once data is obtained, a strict legal process is observed, including various preservation requests, affidavits for search warrants, and subpoenas where necessary to utilize the data for a criminal investigation.
DISCUSSION:
On June 9, 2025, the City's Purchasing Division published a formal request for proposals regarding our need for a Drive Test Scanner (RFP 25-178). This formal bid process was completed on August 27, 2025, and Five Eight Group was identified as the selected provider of this drive test scanner system for the Aurora Police Department.
Five Eight Group has also provided a quote for this service which includes the necessary hardware, software, and training necessary to successfully utilize this service in criminal investigations and the recovery of missing and endangered persons.
The total one-time, up-front cost for this Drive Test Scanner and related software is $170,000. This total cost includes a three-year hardware warranty and all software updates for three years from time of purchase.
Funding for this purchase is available in the US Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund, account number 256-3536-421.64-10. The purchase of this equipment is supported as an allowable cost under the Asset Forfeiture and Equitable Sharing Program.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The purchase of this Drive Test Scanner will allow investigators at the Aurora Police Department to locate missing endangered persons and wanted fugitives in a more efficient and expeditious manner.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Request approval of this Resolution.
cc: Finance Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to enter into a purchase agreement with Five Eight Group for the procurement of a drive test scanner for the Aurora Police Department, in a total amount not to exceed $170,000.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, The police department is tasked with the investigation of crimes and the location of missing endangered persons, and must do so often with great urgency; and
WHEREAS, advancement in technology has provided a means for the police department to take efficient and verifiable measures in the location of wanted fugitives and missing endangered persons in a safe and reliable manner; and
WHEREAS, the police department has located a vendor, Five Eight Group, which is a highly suited vendor of such technology, specifically a drive test scanner to be used to assist in the location of wanted fugitives and missing endangered persons; and
WHEREAS, Five Eight Group has been identified as the provider of this drive test scanner, and was selected as the result of a formal bid process provided by the City's Purchasing Division (RFP 25-178); and
WHEREAS, funding for this purchase is available in the US Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund, account number 256-3536-421.64-10. The purchase of this equipment is supported as an allowable cost under the Asset Forfeiture and Equitable Sharing Program.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: the Director of Purchasing is hereby authorized to enter into a purchase agreement with Five Eight Group for the procurement of a drive test scanner for the Aurora Police Department, in a total amount not to exceed $170,000.00.