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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Lt. Tom McNamara, Administrative Services Lieutenant, APD
DATE: February 2, 2026
SUBJECT:
A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to enter into an agreement with LDV Custom Specialty Vehicles (LDV, Inc.) for the construction of a negotiator vehicle for the APD Crisis Negotiator Team in an amount not to exceed $200,000
PURPOSE:
To authorize the Director of Purchasing to enter into an agreement with LDV Custom Specialty Vehicles (LDV, Inc.) for the construction of a rapid deployment negotiator vehicle for the APD Crisis Negotiator Team in the amount of $186,484.00 plus 6.8% contingency of $13,516.00 for a total amount not to exceed $200,000
BACKGROUND:
The Aurora Police Department is looking to add a rapid response vehicle to be used for the quick response to in-progress crisis events by the APD Crisis Negotiator Team (CNT).
The CNT is responsible for responding to crisis events such as barricaded subjects, suicidal subjects, and hostage situations. The CNT regularly conducts training exercises in preparation for deployment and requires the dependability of a specialized vehicle capable of meeting specific needs associated with such in-progress critical incidents.
At present, the CNT operates from the back of the APD Command Post. The Command Post is a large vehicle only capable of being driven by specially trained APD personnel. The size and need for dedicated operators severely limits the deployment time. The proposed CNT vehicle can easily and rapidly be driven to any scene by all personnel. The Command Post becomes a centralized command center at critical incidents. Numerous personnel use it for managing an incident. A large, loud, diesel generator is located directly underneath the area currently used for negotiations.
A 2024 Ford Transit 350XL van was procured during the 2024 vehicle purchase order in preparation for this project. A new and properly designed response vehicle will provide a modernized, better equipped, and more reliable mechanism to perform tasks associated with these in-progress crisis situations in a way that will allow our officers to perform more safely and efficiently.
DISCUSSION:
The Aurora Police Department is prepared to begin work with LDV, Inc. in the design and construction of a modernized rapid deployment negotiator vehicle for the CNT. LDV, Inc. has provided other vehicles for the APD including our Command Post and SRT Rapid Response vehicle and has provided several upgrades to our vehicles over the past years. LDV, Inc. has demonstrated that they are a capable and responsible vendor with an understanding of the needs of our organization and a commitment to workmanship.
LDV, Inc. has submitted a preliminary quote for this new vehicle (attached) under GSA Cooperative Agreement Contract # 47QMCA21D000F (attached). A condition of this GSA contract requires that the Aurora Police Department provide a letter (attached) stating that we will use this vehicle for disaster recovery or prepositioning if needed.
Once approved, this contract will be funded by The US Department of Treasury, Asset Forfeiture and Equitable Sharing Program, and will be paid from account 257-3536-421.75-20 in an amount not to exceed $200,000.00. These funds are budgeted for in the approved 2026 City Budget.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
The construction of this new rapid response negotiator vehicle will allow our officers to safely and more efficiently respond to and conduct crisis negotiation and crisis scene management in the City of Aurora.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
I request the proposed resolution be adopted.
cc: Public Health, Safety, and Transportation Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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A Resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing to enter into an agreement with LDV Custom Specialty Vehicles (LDV, Inc.) for the construction of a negotiator vehicle for the APD Crisis Negotiator Team in an amount not to exceed $200,000
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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 Aurora Police Department CNT is responsible for responding to crisis events such as barricaded subjects, suicidal subjects, and hostage situations; and
WHEREAS, the Police Department CNT currently operates from the back of the Command Post vehicle. Further, the Command Post can only be driven by specially trained personnel due to its size, therefore hindering a CNT rapid response; and
WHEREAS the Aurora Police Department is prepared to begin work with LDV, Inc. in the design and construction of a modernized rapid deployment negotiator vehicle for the CNT. LDV, Inc. has already provided other vehicles for the APD including our Command Post and SRT Rapid Response vehicles and has provided several upgrades to our vehicles over the past years; and
WHEREAS, LDV, Inc. has submitted a preliminary quote for this new vehicle under GSA Cooperative Agreement Contract # 47QMCA21D000F; and
WHEREAS, this project will be funded by The US Department of Treasury, Asset Forfeiture and Equitable Sharing Program, and will be paid from account 257-3536-421.75-20 in an amount not to exceed $200,000.00.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: the Director of Purchasing is authorized to enter into an agreement with LDV Custom Specialty Vehicles (LDV, Inc.) for the construction of a negotiator vehicle for the APD Crisis Negotiator Team in an amount not to exceed $200,000.