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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Commander Bill Rowley
DATE: 08/15/2025
SUBJECT:
Resolution to authorize the Mayor or his designee to execute the contracts for Julie Smith and Gina Minetti as certified fingerprint analysts for the Aurora Police Department.
PURPOSE:
To request authorization from the Aurora City Council to re-hire certified fingerprint analysts Julie Smith and Gina Minetti for the purpose of conducting fingerprint analysis and identification as part of the Department’s continuing program to maintain a complete in-house fingerprint capability for the Aurora Police Department
BACKGROUND:
Historically, for all crimes occurring in Aurora (DuPage County excluded), the Aurora Police Department had submitted fingerprint evidence to the Illinois State Police’s Joliet Crime Lab (JCL) for analysis and identification. Due to overstretched resources and heavy caseloads at the JCL, it took several months for the crime lab to process and return fingerprint evidence from crime scenes submitted for Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) comparison.
While awaiting the return of AFIS submissions from the lab, there were instances where individuals in Aurora experienced further criminal activity. During this time, some offenders remained unidentified, allowing them to continue their activities. The delay in processing fingerprint evidence that could connect them to past crimes had both financial and emotional impacts on the community, affecting the overall well-being of Aurora's citizens.
Fingerprint evidence remains a highly reliable form of evidence, and it can lead to charges being authorized based solely on this type of evidence. To enhance public safety and address crime efficiently, the Department has developed a comprehensive in-house fingerprint capability. This includes lifting fingerprints, processing them through AFIS, making identifications, and providing court testimony. Our ability to quickly identify individuals has contributed to the timely identification of repeat offenders, helping to prevent further incidents and protect the community.
Research completed at the onset of this program to support an in-house AFIS capability showed that two analysts were needed to establish absolute reliability in identifications, as one certified analyst must verify the identification made by the other. Misidentifications would serve to undermine the credibility of our program before the courts and could also incur liability for the City. After contemplating various options to obtain the services of two analysts, the Police Department determined that hiring already trained and certified people to perform fingerprint analysis and identification on a contractual basis was the most efficient and cost-effective way to support our in-house AFIS capability. Other options that were ruled out were hiring full time or part-time analysts or committing Police Department personnel to the lengthy training and certification process that would be needed to perform this task.
On 12/22/2009, the City Council approved the purchase of AFIS equipment from the NEC Corporation of America for this purpose and updated the equipment in February 2018. On March 23,2010, the City Council adopted Resolution R10-109 authorizing the hiring of two certified fingerprint analysts as contractual consultants to conduct fingerprint analysis and identification. Fingerprint analysts, Julie Smith and Gina Minetti, were contracted and cleared to perform this work for the department beginning November 30, 2010.
Smith and Minetti began performing fingerprint analysis for the Department in December of 2010 and have continued their analysis since that time. They have been assigned approximately 2217 cases, examined approximately 8361 fingerprint lifts, and were able to make over 1895 suspect identifications. They continue to prove themselves as competent and dependable workers. They have met all requirements of their job descriptions and the expectations of the Department. In some cases, identification was made within hours, instead of the months it may have taken the crime lab to make an identification.
DISCUSSION:
Based on the proven work performance and success rates already established by Julie Smith and Gina Minetti, the Department would like to have their contracts renewed for the calendar years 2026 and 2027. Those contracts have been structured based on the volume of work we have for them and the rate at which they were able to process evidence during the time they worked. That analysis showed that they will need to work at least 6 hours apiece each week, up to 10 hours apiece per week. Their rate of pay will be $100.00 per hour, subject to an annual maximum payment of $60,000.00 each. They are only contacted when there is work for them to do, so the City will not incur any costs if there is none.
The anticipated 2026 budget shall provide for this project in account 101-3536-421.32-20.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
If this is not approved, the Aurora Police Department will return to a significant time lag in the processing of fingerprint evidence, and the potential identification of offenders. Our fingerprint lifts would have to be sent to the State Police Crime lab and sit stagnate for up to 1 month or more while they await processing with many other requests from other law enforcement agencies.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Recommend that the City Council authorize the Mayor or his designee to execute the contracts for Julie Smith and Gina Minetti as certified fingerprint analysts for the Aurora Police Department.
cc: PHST Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
RESOLUTION NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
title
A Resolution to authorize the Mayor or his designee to execute the contracts for Julie Smith and Gina Minetti as certified fingerprint analysts for the Aurora Police Department.
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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, Authorizing the continued services of civilian fingerprint analysts Julie Smith and Gina Minetti as contractual consultants for the purpose of fingerprint analysis and identification for the Aurora Police Department.
WHEREAS, due to overstretched resources and heavy caseloads, it routinely takes several months for the Joliet Crime Lab to process and return fingerprint evidence from crime scenes submitted for AFIS comparison; and
WHEREAS, the citizens of Aurora had suffered needless victimization at the hands of criminals, often times felons, who remained unidentified and free to continue their criminal pursuits while fingerprint evidence that could link them to previous crimes was awaiting processing by the Joliet Crime Lab; and
WHEREAS, continued victimization includes monetary and psychological costs that negatively impact the quality of life of Aurora’s citizenry; and
WHEREAS, In order to better serve the public by combating crime and removing criminals from the streets of Aurora at the earliest possible opportunity, the Department developed its own complete fingerprint capability to include lifting fingerprints, submitting them through AFIS, making identifications, and being able to testify in court to those identifications; and
WHEREAS, in order to establish this complete fingerprint capability, on December 22, 2009 the City Council authorized the purchase of equipment from the NEC Corporation of America that will interface with the AFIS system used by the State’s Bureau of Identification (B of I); and
WHEREAS, in order to make use of the above-mentioned NEC equipment, the services of fingerprint analysts are needed; and
WHEREAS, after research into the current best practices in the field, the Department learned that two fingerprint analysts are needed-one to make an identification, and another to confirm the identification; and
WHEREAS, the Department determined that the quickest and most cost-effective way of acquiring the services of fingerprint analysts is to hire two already trained and certified analysts as contractual consultants; and
WHEREAS, Julie Smith and Gina Minetti are trained and certified fingerprint analysts who formerly worked at the Joliet Crime Lab and each have years of experience in this field, and who presented themselves to the Department as being willing to serve as contractual consultants for the purposes of fingerprint analysis and identification; and
WHEREAS, Julie Smith and Gina Minetti have previously signed contracts to perform this work for the Police Department from December of 2010 to the present day. During this time Julie Smith and Gina Minetti proved themselves to be highly competent and knowledgeable in this field, and have been able to meet all of their job requirements and expectations; and
WHEREAS, Julie Smith's and Gina Minetti's pay shall be $100.00 per hour respectively, subject to an annual maximum payment of $60,000.00 each; and
WHEREAS, the anticipated 2026 budget shall provide for this project in account 101-3536-421.32-20 in the amount of $120,000.00; and
WHEREAS, Julie Smith and Gina Minetti have already passed the requisite background check for such employment at the Department, and that Julie Smith and Gina Minetti have secured the professional liability insurance required by the City for such contract work)
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, finds as facts all of the preamble recitals of this Resolution and hereby authorize the Mayor or his designee to execute the contracts for Julie Smith and Gina Minetti as certified fingerprint analysts for Aurora Police Department.