ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A routine equipment upgrade for the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office has become the subject of a formal complaint, after a retired deputy chief alleged the department violated purchasing laws while pursuing a multimillion‑dollar radio replacement project.
According to county documents, the Sheriff’s Office is seeking approval to buy 330 new Motorola Starcom radios to replace communication equipment originally purchased in 2016, which has now reached its end of life. The total cost, $2,625,336, would be paid using the Public Safety Sales Tax fund balance under a budget amendment introduced at the February 19 Finance Committee meeting.
The proposal includes next‑generation APX NEXT and APX N70 radios with LTE, GPS, encryption, and integration with Motorola’s CommandCentral Aware software, providing real-time tracking and improved officer safety features. Motorola representatives, along with Chief Deputy Rick Ciganek and Lt. Lucas Wagner, presented the plan to the Finance Committee on Feb. 5, emphasizing the need to modernize communications equipment for patrol, corrections, animal services, and probation divisions…