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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Lt. Tom McNamara, Aurora Police Department
DATE: September 8, 2026
SUBJECT:
A resolution authorizing the Director of Purchasing or her designee to issue all necessary orders to purchase ten (10) United Shield brand ballistic shields and accessories from MES Life Safety of Lombard, Illinois through the Sourcewell Cooperative Contract #090122-MES in an amount not to exceed $66,000.
PURPOSE:
To purchase 10 rifle rated ballistic shields for the Aurora Police Department. These ballistic shields are essential life safety tools for the protection of our first responding police officers. This purchase allows us to replace 10 standard shields with rifle rated shields to be carried in patrol squad cars.
BACKGROUND:
The 2026 budget includes a decision package for the Aurora Police Department to replace ballistic shields over a multi-year phase replacement program. The decision package began in the 2022 budget year and is set to expire this year.
The impetus for the 2022 decision package was to replace already outdated shields and those approaching the end of their useful, recommended life. When additional patrol cars were added to our fleet allowance, various equipment, including ballistic shields were required to outfit them. The 2022 decision package accounted for these additions.
Our goal is to ensure all patrol squad cars are equipped with a ballistic shield for immediate use by first responding police officers.
DISCUSSION:
The initial assessment in preparation for the decision package revealed ballistic shields in our patrol division were expired or approaching the end of their warrantied life. The multi-year decision package was requested to replace our ageing supply on a rotation and to equip additionally authorized squad cars in our fleet. This request is part of that multi-year replacement program cycle.
MES Life Safety (MES) has supplied these ballistic shields and other ballistic equipment for the Aurora Polic...
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