Sacramento County goes 5-by-5, OKing new radios for sheriff’s deputies
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a rental agreement to spend no more than $13 million to lease new radios for the Sheriff’s Office.
With the board’s vote on Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office is now authorized to lease more than 2,000 APX N70 radios, as well as other software and accessories. These radios are used to contact dispatch, call for backup and reach Emergency Medical Services.
Colin Bettis, Sacramento County’s debt officer, said the new radios will replace the Sheriff’s Office’s older equipment that was leased out in 2015. These radios currently have an overdue shelf life and expired last year, according to county documents. Sacramento County previously acquired Motorola radios and spent $1.5 million on their prior rental agreement.
“The equipment typically ranges in life from about 10 to 20 years, or at least, we stretch it to that useful life,” Bettis said. “But 10 years is consistent with the useful life of the products.”
This new rental agreement will last the Sheriff’s Office 10 years and has a 3.54% interest rate. The original proposal was submitted by the Banc of America Public Capital Corp., a subsidiary of Bank of America.
The county has scheduled payments extending to 2036 to fully pay off the equipment, according to the master equipment lease purchase agreement.
The equipment agreement is subject to annual appropriation, Bettis said. This means the interest rate is unguaranteed and dependent on governmental funding.
Sacramento County’s 2025-26 budget is $9.2 billion with a $4 billion general fund. Around half of the radios’ costs will be covered by the county general fund. State dollars and profits from the Sacramento County Main Jail commissary will cover the remaining cost, according to the county’s resolution.
