City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: OCTOBER 8, 2024 FROM: POLICE DEPARTMENT WARDS: ALL SUBJECT: PURCHASE OF 300 AXON TASER 10 WITH ACCESSORIES, FIVE-YEAR WARRANTY AND TRAINING FROM AXON ENTERPRISE, INC., OF SCOTTSDALE, AZ, IN THE AMOUNT OF $310,434.86 FOR THE FIRST YEAR, $289,648.86 PER YEAR FOR THE FOLLOWING THREE YEARS AND $289,648.72 IN YEAR FIVE FOR A TOTAL PURCHASE AMOUNT OF $1,469,030.16 PURSUANT TO PURCHASING RESOLUTION 24101, SECTION 602(F) ISSUE:
Approve the purchase of 300 Axon Taser 10 with magazines, cartridges, holsters, docks, battery packs, five-year warranty, and training from Axon Enterprise, Inc., of Scottsdale, AZ, in the amount of $310,434.86 for the first year, $289,648.86 per year the following three years and $289,648.72 in year five for a total purchase amount of $1,469,030.16, pursuant to Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 602(f).
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That City Council:
Approve the purchase of 300 Axon Taser 10 with magazines, cartridges, holsters, docks, battery packs, five-year warranty, and training from Axon Enterprise, Inc., of Scottsdale, AZ, in the amount of $310,434.86 for the first year, $289,648.86 per year the following three years and $289,648.72 in year five for a total purchase amount of $1,469,030.16, pursuant to Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 602(f); and Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute any documents that may be necessary to complete this purchase.
BACKGROUND:
On February 11, 2014, the City Council awarded Bid No. 7225 to Proforce Law Enforcement, of Prescott, AZ, in the amount of $76,701, plus tax, for the purchase of 80 X26 Tasers and 350 X26 Taser Cartridges. The intent of the purchase was to equip all uniformed Riverside Police Department (RPD) personnel with a Taser to ensure that less lethal options are readily available in the event they may be needed to resolve emergency situations.
Shortly after the 2014 purchase of 80 X26 Tasers, the X26 Taser was discontinued by the manufacture, Axon Enterprise, Inc. (Axon) and was no longer sold or supported by the company. The Department began replacing the X26 Tasers with the newer model X26P Tasers on a case-by-case basis as they reached the end of their useful life and could no longer be repaired.
This was done until 2021 when a taser inventory audit was conducted by the RPD Training Bureau. During that audit, the RPD identified approximately 100 officers who were still using the older X26 Taser.
On March 22, 2022, the City Council approved the purchase of 100 X26P Tasers, 100 batteries, and 100 holsters from Proforce law Enforcement, of Prescott, AZ, in the amount of $133,861.47 to replace the remaining X26 model Taser.
Although there were more advanced models of taser available at the time, the Department chose to move forward with the X26P Taser because it functioned the same as the X26 Taser previously used and therefore did not require additional training. Additionally, the cartridges were interchangeable with the X26P Taser and did not require additional cartridge purchases.
DISCUSSION:
The Department has issued 302 Taser devices to sworn personnel. Officers are issued a Taser device after successfully completing approved training on the device. The device is issued as a less lethal tool making it safer for all involved when moving/dispersing an individual or crowd that possesses a threat to the community or law enforcement and/or when making arrests.
The RPD was notified by Axon that they would soon stop certifying law enforcement personnel as instructors for the X26P Taser. In doing so, RPD would have no instructors to certify officers to carry the X26P which would be problematic for various liability and legal reasons. The Department conducted research on other Taser models. Areas of evaluation included: functionality, reliability, ease of use, dependability, and support/warranty coverage. The Axon Taser 10 model is the device that was identified as being the best fit for the RPD’s needs.
The Taser 10 was released by Axon in 2023 and is their newest model. The device has a range that is more than twice that of the Taser X26P and has a higher accuracy rate due to its multiple probe system. Because of the greater stand-off distance, officers will have more options for cover and protection when seeking deployment opportunities. The Taser 10 also has an audible/visual warning function and utilizes a cloud-based system to record use. The device functions differently than the Taser X26P and officer training will be required prior to issuance.
Since its launch in January 2023, Axon has shipped over 130,000 new devices to over 1,000 law enforcement agencies and estimates around 3,000 uses in the field. Incredibly, 21% of these uses have prevented lethal force, showcasing its life-saving potential. The Taser 10 offers three times the effective range and ten times the opportunities to save a life.
The proposed purchase is a five-year subscription for 300 of the Taser 10 devices to replace all of the Taser X26P currently in use. The subscription includes holsters, batteries, docks, live magazines, unlimited live probes, warranty for repair and replacement, and Axon Evidence Login for access to the cloud-based system. The subscription chosen by the Department also includes all training materials and instructor course vouchers. At the end of the 5-year subscription, devices would be owned outright by the Department.
The RPD obtained a quote from Axon Enterprise, Inc., of Scottsdale, AZ, for 300 Taser 10 devices with accessories, warranty and training over a five-year subscription in the total amount of $1,469,030.16. Axon is providing pricing in accordance with their Sourcewell cooperative contract 092722-AXN. The pricing is also reduced for the buyback of RPDs current Tasers.
On August 9, 2022, Sourcewell released a Request for Proposals No. 092722 (RFP# 092722) for Conducted Energy Weapons. The RFP# 092722 closed on September 27, 2022 with 2 responses. Both respondents were evaluated and Axon Enterprise, Inc. was ranked the highest with a score of 827 of 1000 points. Sourcewell and Axon Enterprise, Inc. entered into contract number 092722-AXN on February 3, 2023 which ends on November 21, 2026.
Therefore, the RPD is proposing to purchase 300 Taser 10 devices through a five-year subscription from Axon Enterprises, Inc., of Scottsdale, AZ.
Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 602(f) Acquisition of Goods states that: “Competitive Procurement through the Informal Procurement and Formal Procurement process shall not be required in any of the following circumstances: …(f) When Cooperative Purchasing is available and undertaken or when Goods can be obtained through Federal, State and/or other public entity pricing contracts or price agreements”.
The Purchasing Manager concurs that this purchase is in accordance with Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 602(f).
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item contributes to Strategic Priority No. 2 Community Well-Being and Goal No. 2.4 – Support programs and innovations that enhance community safety, encourage neighborhood engagement, and build public trust.
This item aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – Riverside Police Department Officers are required to carry a Taser by Department policy as a nonlethal enforcement option. Having various tools available to them allows Police Department employees to better serve the community and increase public trust.
Equity – The Riverside Police Department provides public safety services to all residents in the City of Riverside. The Taser is only one tool in their tool belt that helps them to achieve this goal.
Fiscal Responsibility – The procurement of the Tasers aligns with Purchasing Resolution 24101, Section 602(f) which outlines the procurement process as it relates to cooperative purchasing opportunities.
Innovation – In order to meet the community’s changing needs and prepare for the future, the Riverside Police Department equips all field personnel with the most current well tested tools and training available to public safety.
Sustainability & Resiliency – The proposed purchase has the capacity to meet the present and future needs of the Riverside Police Department and ensures the Department is provided the capacity to preserve, adapt and grow with the needs of the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total fiscal impact of this action is $1,469,030.16 paid over a 5-year term. Sufficient funding for the first year (FY 24/25) in the amount of $310,434.86, will be available as a carryover item, in the Grants and Restricted Programs Fund, Police Department Administrative Services State COPS 23/24 Grant Account 9350900-440210.
Funding for FY25/26 in the amount of $289,648.86 will be funded by State COPS 24/25 which is expected to be established this Fall. Funding for the following three-years in the amount of $868,946.44 will either be funded with future State of California Citizens’ Option for Public Safety Program (State COPS) grant funding or included in the Police Department budget for those years.
The City of Riverside Police Department has received funding through the State COPS program for 28 consecutive years. Funding amounts are usually announced in mid-September of each year and are sufficient to fund this purchase.
Prepared by: Chad Milby, Police Captain
Approved by: Larry V. Gonzalez, Chief of Police
Certified as to
availability of funds: Kristie Thomas, Finance Director/Assistant Chief Financial Officer Approved by: Mike Futrell, City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachment: Quote
Taser 10 Purchase 2024 – Page 2