DATE: June 4, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Police Department
TITLE: PURCHASE OF AXON BODY-WORN CAMERAS, LICENSE PLATE RECOGNITION CAMERAS, AND VIDEO EVIDENCE STORAGE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff and the Police and Fire Commission recommend that the City Council approve a purchase order to Axon Enterprise Inc., in an amount not to exceed $3,194,647, for the purchase of upgraded replacement body-worn cameras (BWC), Automatic License Plate Recognition cameras (ALPRs) and Fusus (data integration platform), extension of Fleet 3 In-Car Cameras, and unlimited data storage for video captured by those devices utilizing Sourcewell Contract #101223-AXN; and authorize the Financial Services Director, or designee, to execute the purchase order.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The BWC is an individual electronic device that each uniformed Officer mounts on their person to document and memorialize contact with members of the public in criminal investigations, interviews, and other law enforcement interactions with community members. The Oceanside Police Department (OPD) currently utilizes Axon Enterprise BWC equipment, which was purchased in August of 2020. The current Axon BWC contract expires in July and a new contract is required for continued operations. Additionally, the current Fleet 3 In-Car Cameras contract expires in FY2027-28, this new contract will extend the use of Fleet 3 through FY2029-30. The proposed new contract with Axon is inclusive of BWC, an extension of the Fleet 3 in-car camera service, ALPR and Fusus.
While there is no current mandate for Law Enforcement Officers to be equipped with BWCs, it has become an expectation of the community and is considered a "best practice" of law enforcement. The absence of BWC video has become a major point of contention when law enforcement incidents come under scrutiny or are otherwise investigated. Expectations of law enforcement accountability demand engagemen...
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