The police department's current agreement for body and squad camera's is set to expire later this year. Department staff have spent a considerable amount of time testing additional products and getting quotes from viable vendors. This project started back in December of 2022, and the department is now ready to move forward with a new agreement with Axon.

The attached agreement covers equipment, replacement equipment, and storage of video. In addition to price, there are other advantages to moving forward with Axon. First, this product includes their evidence.com service. This means staff will no longer burn video on a DVD, officers can upload evidence faster, and will mean every agency in Scott County is now on the same system. This should create substantial efficiencies with the county attorney's office.  

The second benefit is the replacement of all equipment when the agreement expires in five years. The department budgets equipment rent costs for such replacements. This agreement includes replacement equipment at the end of the agreement. This allows the city to spread future equipment rent costs over ten years, not five. Lastly, Axon has been an industry leader with this equipment and has a proven track record of good service when it comes to upgrading equipment and replacing equipment if any issues arise.

Initially, the agreement spread the costs over the five years of the agreement. The department planned, like we did with the previous agreement, to use Tribal funds and equipment rentals to pay as we go for storage and equipment. The city will receive one-time public safety funds from the state starting in September. We are proposing to pay for the agreement in full using equipment rentals and paying the remaining balance with state public safety funds.

This is a substantial undertaking impacting every officer and squad car. Axon is asking for the agreement to be approved now so we can get scheduled for equipment installation as soon as possible.