Title
Sheriff’s Office recommending the Board:
1) Approve and authorize the continuation of the perpetual Agreement 9722 with Cellebrite Inc. for the use of Cellebrite Premium Unlimited Software Package, which allows the Sheriff’s Office to extract data from cell phones for investigative purposes; and
2) Approve and authorize the Purchasing Agent to execute a Purchase Order with Cellebrite in the amount of $115,800 for a term of October 15, 2025, to September 30, 2026 for software license and support and maintenance of hardware for the Cellebrite Premium Unlimited Package.
FUNDING: General Fund.
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The Sheriff’s Office Investigations Unit currently utilizes devices and applications exclusively sourced from Cellebrite. Research into more than five other digital forensic solution vendors determined that Cellebrite is the sole developer, manufacturer, and provider of the Premium Unlimited Package solution for Universal Forensic Extraction Devices ( ). This system is specifically designed for use on smartphones, mobile devices, and other digital storage devices, and is the only known solution compatible with both Android and iOS (Apple) platforms.
The Cellebrite UFED platform offers comprehensive forensic capabilities, including extraction, decoding, and analysis of logical, file system, and physical data. Supported devices include smartphones, tablets, GPS units, SIM cards, memory cards, drones, and USB devices. Data types recoverable through this technology include live and deleted data, contacts, phone numbers, call logs, SMS messages, application data (including social media), location data, photos, videos, and voice messages.
Uniformity across Sheriff’s Office equipment, software compatibility, and the ability to share files and data between deployed devices are critical to ongoing operations, making this acquisition uniquely suited to the agency’s needs. The Cellebrite UFED solution package includes:
- Assembled forensic system computer and licensed software
- Off-site training for personnel
- System warranty
- Remote support and maintenance services
This request seeks Board authorization to continue the perpetual nature of the Cellebrite agreement and to approve payment for an additional year of software subscription and maintenance for the system purchased in 2021. While prior years’ renewals did not require a Purchase Order, the vendor has now updated its requirements, making a Board-approved purchase order necessary for continuation.
In accordance with County’s Procurement Policy C-17, Section 3.5 Specific Exemptions and Written Findings of Fact, Agreement 8989 is proprietary software and exempt from competitive bidding.
On August 31, 2021, with Legistar file 21-1323, the Board originally approved a perpetual purchase agreement for the Cellebrite Premium Unlimited Package software license and hardware.
On September 27, 2022, with Legistar file 22-1681, the Board approved Agreement 6902 with Cellebrite for the continued use of the Premium Unlimited Package, including software license, support, and maintenance.
On September 12, 2023, with Legistar file 23-1479, the Board approved a similar perpetual purchase agreement for the same software and hardware.
On October 8, 2024, with Legistar file 24-1734, the Board approved a perpetual purchase agreement for the Cellebrite Premium Unlimited Package software license and hardware.
ALTERNATIVES
If the Board does not approve continuation of this agreement, the Sheriff’s Office would lose access to the Cellebrite Premium Unlimited Package software and associated maintenance services. This would significantly hinder the ability of investigators to conduct timely and comprehensive digital forensic examinations on mobile devices and other electronic media.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
08/31/2021 Legistar file 21-1323
09/27/2022 Legistar file 22-1681
09/12/2023 Legistar file 23-1479
10/08/2024 Legistar file 24-1734
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel, Procurement and Contracts
CAO RECOMMENDATION / COMMENTS
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no impact to General Fund or Net County Cost. Funding has been included in the Sheriff’s Office FY 2025-26 budget.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Undersheriff Bryan Golmitz