Agenda Item #12.9
For Council Meeting of: July 26, 2022
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JOHN CREGAN, CHIEF OF POLICE, POLICE DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF AGREEMENT WITH AXON ENTERPRISE INC. TO PURCHASE FLEET CAMERAS AND RENEWAL OF CONTRACTS FOR BODY WORN CAMERAS, INTERVIEW ROOM CAMERAS AND TASERS AGENDA ACTION: RESOLUTION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the Police Department that the Council, by resolution: 1) approve a consolidated Professional Services Agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc., Scottsdale, Arizona, for the purchase and deployment of body-worn cameras, interview room cameras, fleet cameras, taser equipment and applicable software licensing, digital evidence management and storage for a five-year period in an amount not to exceed $3,870,284.75; and 2) delegate authority to the Chief of Police, or designee, to negotiate and execute the final consolidated Agreement.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Police Department wishes to consolidate current contracts with Axon Enterprise, Inc. (Axon) into one comprehensive bundled five year Agreement to reduce overall costs and provide one source for all video evidence. Current contracts that will be renewed include body-worn cameras (BWC), interview room cameras and tasers. The Department will be adding fleet cameras for all marked vehicles to provide increased transparency.
BACKGROUND
This In July of 2017 the Police Department Issued Request for Proposal #17-39 seeking the acquisition of Body Worn Cameras for all Police Officers with accompanying hardware, management software and secure cloud video storage. Six vendors submitted proposals and after conducting a thorough review, the City awarded the contract to Axon for a five-year term. It is time for either the renewal of this contract or adding this product to a bundle contract. The Police Department has been very satisfied with the customer service, tech support and quality of the equipment during this time. The technology for the BWCs has proven to be effective and has reliably offered increased transparency to the Police Department.
Interview room cameras are included in the bundle consistent with the contract that was reviewed and approved by the City on October 7, 2021. No additional interview room camera equipment will be purchased other than that which was previously approved by the City under this bundle package.
As a less-than-lethal use of force option, sworn personnel of the Santa Rosa Police Department are issued electronic control weapons referred to as tasers. They have been a standard issue of equipment for the department for nearly two decades. Over the course of that time, three models have been purchased to outfit each officer and to keep current with technology advancements. Each model has been purchased from the same manufacturer (Axon Enterprise, formerly Taser International) and each has a recommended useful life expectancy of five years. The Department has a current contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. for tasers that was approved by the City Council on September 10, 2019 and wishes to include it in the bundle to reduce overall cost.
Fleet cameras are a new technology that have not been utilized by the Department previously and can be added to the Axon bundle at a reduced cost. Fleet cameras are the next phase of BWC programs that increased officer safety while providing more transparency when reviewing incidents.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
Not applicable
ANALYSIS
The BWC industry is still maturing and while there are many companies making cameras, their longevity and ability to scale deliveries can be uncertain. Many of these manufacturers cannot provide examples of large deployments to other police forces within the state or country. A very small number of manufacturers have emerged as industry leaders, with an even smaller number of them capturing the BWC market. While this market is developing, staff recommends that the Santa Rosa Police Department focus on established manufactures with clear examples of success. As the premiere provider of Body-Worn Camera Systems to Police Departments around the Country, Axon Enterprise, Inc. has performed to the City’s satisfaction.
The interview room cameras are able to integrate with the digital evidence database technology the department currently utilizes and will be under warranty with tech support provided by Axon. By including these cameras in the bundle contract, the department is able to get the same equipment and support at a reduced cost.
Research was done by the Police Department in 2019 that concluded Axon Enterprises is the only manufacturer that has taser devices that are specific to law enforcement use. The department is currently under contract with Axon for tasers and this Agreement would renew that contract in a bundle with the other devices indicated.
Fleet cameras are designed to mount on the dashboard of all marked patrol vehicles with one outward facing camera that provides a much wider field of view than Officer BWC’s, and one inward or backward facing camera which will record activity in the back seat of the vehicle. Fleet cameras provide valuable evidence both inside the marked vehicle with head to knee occupant views, and outside the car with a panoramic view. The cameras include clear audio from wireless built-in microphones. Fleet camera footage can be paired with BWC footage to offer a multi-cam view of incidents. The cameras activate automatically, and interface smoothly with other Department technology. Fleet cameras offer augmented Officer and community safety, while increasing the degree of transparency for the Police Department that is expected by the community.
The Police Department wishes to consolidate all current contracts with Axon and add fleet cameras to the contract. By purchasing the Axon bundle the City will save money and extend contracts for equipment that is already approved.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funds for this contract have been appropriated in the Fiscal Year 2022-23 adopted budget within the Police Department.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment or a foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution / Exhibit A
CONTACT
Kim Grindell, Admin Secretary, [email protected] 707-543-3551 AGREEMENT WITH AXON ENTERPRISE INC.
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