REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: PACO BALDERRAMA, Chief of Police
Police Department
BY: MINDY CASTO, Police Deputy Chief
Support Division
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the Fresno Police Department’s technology contract with Axon Enterprises, Inc.
1. Award a sole source contract with Axon Enterprise, Inc., hereinafter referred to as “Axon” in an amount not to exceed $18,368,264.68 for five years ($1,247,549.76 year one, $1,871,789.27 year two, $3,702,094.40 year three, $5,659,592.77 year four and $5,887,238.48 year five) for the purchase, maintenance and upgrade of 800 body-worn cameras and TASERS, unlimited video and data storage through Evidence.com, a computer aided dispatch system (CAD system), a records management system (RMS system) and multiple software programs to increase efficiency, transparency and accountability within the department.
2. ***RESOLUTION - Adopt a Resolution authorizing the establishment of a contract for the purchase and service of body-worn cameras, TASERS, RMS and CAD systems, data storage and other related software with Axon Enterprises, Inc. without advertised competitive bidding (Subject to Mayor’s Veto)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends Council authorize the Chief of Police to enter a five-year agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $18,368,264.68 to service and upgrade 800 body-worn cameras, TASERS, RMS and CAD systems, including unlimited video and data storage through Evidence.com, along with multiple optional software programs. The funding for the first year is included in the Police Department’s FY 25 budget and will be from a combination of sources as shown below.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Police Department began its relationship with Axon in calendar year 2000 with the deployment of TASERS. In 2013, Axon body-worn cameras were first launched and since then, the development partnership between Axon and the Police Department has continued to grow as technology evolves.
Currently, all officers assigned to patrol are equipped with Axon Body 3 cameras and Taser X26P’s. The majority of officers and detectives assigned to tactical units, all Traffic officers and the department’s SWAT team are also equipped with Body 3 cameras. The deployment of body-worn cameras and TASERS has led to a higher degree of accountability, increased transparency, and enhanced safety for the public and our officers. Although we entered a 5-year contract with Axon for 556 body cameras and Tasers scheduled to end June, 2025, we will not be exercising year 5, and will instead use existing general fund appropriations for year one of this contract in the amount of $706,000.00.
In 2017, the department partnered with Axon to co-develop a Records Management System (RMS) and in 2019, became the first law enforcement agency in the nation to implement the software. In 2020, the department again partnered with Axon to co-develop a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and in 2022, became the first law enforcement agency in the world to launch the program. The development of new RMS and CAD systems was necessary due to the prior program, Data 911, no longer supporting necessary upgrades, which were necessary to gain compliance with the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS).
This contract will allow the department to expand its current contract for body-worn cameras and TASERS from 556 to 800, and to upgrade each to the latest technology. Additionally, this contract incorporates the Axon RMS and CAD systems, along with multiple software components, into one technology contract. Due to the department’s commitment as a development partner, Axon has agreed to provide discounts totaling several million dollars.
BACKGROUND
In an era of increased public scrutiny and litigation, body-worn camera systems provide objective video evidence and demonstrate events from the perspective of the officer. This has proven to be invaluable during critical incidents that often result in litigation and during investigations of misconduct complaints against police officers. The past contract allowed the department 556 body-worn cameras. During the life of the contract, department staffing increased, requiring more body-worn cameras. To meet our department’s body-worn camera needs, Axon provided an additional 86 cameras at no cost for several years. Based on current staffing projections, we estimate 800 body-worn cameras will be necessary to fully equip personnel assigned to field, tactical and certain investigative assignments. Additionally, this contract will upgrade the current Body 3 camera to the Body 4 model, with enhanced video and audio capabilities.
The department’s current TASERS are aging and will soon require upgrades. Currently, the department has to make regular purchases of replacement batteries and cartridges. This contract includes the purchase of 800 Taser 10’s for assignment to field, tactical and certain investigative assignments. The new Taser 10 expels one probe each time it is fired, in order to more effectively achieve compliance and safely bring violent encounters to an end. This contract includes unlimited replacement cartridges and batteries, for an annual savings of thousands of dollars.
The Fresno Police Department Communications Center is the public safety answer point for all police, fire and medical emergency calls made in the City of Fresno. Axon Respond Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system is the backbone of emergency service response. It assists dispatchers with sending officers, fire or EMS when help is needed by the public. It is the foundational software utilized by our dispatchers to document and prioritize incoming calls for service, identify the status and locations of officers in the field, and efficiently units in the field. Officers rely on Axon Respond to provide both current and historical information about incidents, locations and individuals that is necessary for them to safely respond to calls for service. Its functions allow dispatchers to keep track of officer call assignments, monitor pending calls for service, query local, state, and national criminal justice databases, as well as send and receive messages to units in the field. As a result of being a development partner for Axon CAD, the department has received CAD services at no cost since 2020, when we implemented Axon CAD.
Axon Records is a Records Management System (RMS) used throughout the agency for the storage, retrieval, retention, archiving, and viewing of a variety of law enforcement records, to include police reports, citations, local contact history and vehicle information. Axon Records is used by officers in the field for research and to generate police reports, by supervisors for report review and approval, by detectives for investigations and case management, by Records to meet state and federal incident-based reporting requirements (NIBRS/CIBRS) and records sealing/expungement. The department has not paid for RMS services since 2019, when we implemented Axon RMS.
Under this contract, the department will not begin to pay for CAD services until July of 2027, amounting to nearly ten million dollars in savings over the past several years.
In addition to the above listed Axon hardware and software services, this contract provides the department with access to the latest in technological advances in law enforcement. These products increase safety, improve efficiency and enhance our ability to serve the public. Below are some of the highlights of these services:
• Respond Plus: Through integration with the LTE equipped Body 4 camera, dispatchers and/or supervisors will have the ability to live-stream footage from an officer’s body camera in real-time. This will serve to enhance safety for our officers during emergencies when they may not be able to communicate over their radios due to the situation they are encountering or location they are attempting to transmit from. When an officers’ body camera is powered on, their location can also be identified via Axon’s mapping system.
• Draft One-Narrative Assistant: Utilizing artificial intelligence (A.I.), audio recording of an officer’s body-worn camera footage is transcribed into a police report, which will be reviewed by the officer before submission. When fully deployed, Draft One is expected to drastically reduce the amount of time an officer spends during their shift report writing. As a result, officers will have more time available for proactive patrols and community engagement during their shifts. It will also reduce report writing overtime costs.
• My90: This software provides the ability to conduct both internal and external surveys designed to measure efficiency in the department. This can be accomplished via text message after police contact with a citizen.
• 3rd Party Unlimited Storage: This feature is one of the most valuable, cost-saving services in the AXON contract. Evidence.com is a secure, cloud-based digital evidence storage service provided by AXON. Body worn camera video, photographs, cell phone data downloads, citizen surveillance video and Leica crime scene scanning files are just some of the items that can be stored and easily accessed in Evidence.com. With 3rd Party Unlimited Storage, the department avoids having to purchase and maintain additional hardware and software to securely store and access digital evidence.
• Axon Redaction: Software used to identify and redact items from body-worn camera videos, such as selected screens, faces, license plates, and audio as required prior to release. This application is most commonly used by the City Attorney’s Office to help fulfill the public records acts (PRAs) requests for body worn camera video.
• Community Request: Allows the agency to create an evidence submission portal for the public to submit digital evidence related to an investigation. Community Request also allows detectives to send individual invitations to witnesses to submit evidence. Any evidence submitted using Community Request goes straight into Axon Evidence.com, after being scanned for viruses. Once categorized in Evidence.com, the digital evidence becomes searchable.
• Standards: A data management and workflow system designed for managing administrative investigations, use-of-force reporting, select training records, commendations, etc. Standards would replace two existing software applications currently in use: IA Pro and Blue Team. Because Standards has a native connection to the Axon ecosystem, users can quickly and efficiently attach files, like TASER logs, police reports, photographs and body-worn camera videos directly to each Standards entry. Standards provides for task delegation and automated reminders to ensure transparency and workflow efficiency.
• Auto Tagging: Uses information from CAD and RMS to automatically label digital evidence (primarily body-worn camera video) in AXON Evidence.com. This automation saves the officers considerable time and ensures video evidence is accurately associated with the correct case.
• Axon Performance: Performance randomly selects videos for auditing by supervisors on a weekly basis to ensure customer service standards are being met by officers and their actions are in compliance with department policy. Performance also provides metrics for both body camera activation rates and Taser deployments.
• Transcription: Provides transcription for any digital evidence containing audio files uploaded into Axon Evidence.com. Transcription saves officers and investigators considerable time and can negate the need to pay for costly transcription services. Transcription is also used as the basis for Axon Draft One AI-based narrative assistance. Transcription can also be used to search for key words to identify potential behavioral concerns requiring supervisory attention.
• Signal Sidearm Technology: A smart sensor, attached to a firearm holster, Axon activates an officer’s body-worn camera anytime their firearm is drawn from the holster. Critical incidents often happen within seconds and under tense, rapidly evolving circumstances. Should an officer with only a split-second to act not have time to activate their body-worn-camera, this technology ensures the critical incident is captured on video.
• Axon Investigate: Allows investigators to utilize Axon technology to playback various file formats natively. This is a critical function for investigators when relying upon 3rd party data such as CCTV or other surveillance video.
• Interview Rooms: The department currently has five interview rooms equipped with Axon camera systems. This contract extends the unlimited storage, maintenance and licensing for each interview room camera.
• Virtual Reality (VR) Training: Provided at no cost, this modern scenario-based training program will supplement the training and transition to the Taser 10. It is also a tool for community engagement training scenarios and can be used for simulated lethal and non-lethal force encounters.
• FUSUS: Provided at no cost, this Real Time Information Center (RTIC) software integrates multiple sources of information to enhance situational awareness. FUSUS allows video to be fed into the RTIC, and when fully implemented, sent to officers’ department issued cell phones during in-progress incidents and ongoing investigations.
• Technical Account Manager (TAM): Axon has agreed to continue providing an on-site TAM to the Department for no cost for years 1-3 of the contract and at 50% of the actual cost of a TAM in years 4-5. Having a TAM on-site has been and will continue to be critical to the seamless implementation of Axon upgrades during the life of our development partnership.
Estimated savings realized during development partnership and the life of this contract are as follows:
$3.7 million - Bundle Plan Savings
$1.5 million - Extension of no-cost RMS services through July 2027
$247,000 - Extension of no-cost CAD services through July 2027
$1.9 million - AI Report Writing (Draft One) at no cost years 1 -3
$225,000 - Three years of on-site TAM at no cost years 1-3
$2.8 million - Virtual Reality, Community Request, My90 and FUSUS at no cost year 1-5
$10,372,000 Savings
Additional Concessions:
$4.5 million - CAD and RMS implementation, migration, etc.
$2.5 million - Records Licenses
$1.2 million - CAD licenses
$458,000 - Transcription and Performance services extended at no cost
$8,658,000
Axon Total Savings: $19,030,000
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
This is not a “project” for the purposes of CEQA, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
This contract would be awarded as a sole source, meaning local preference would not apply since there is a single provider of the specified equipment.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total impact to the general fund for the five-year contract will be 17,495,264.68 with the balance ($1,003,000.00) for all five years being funded by SLESA grant funds. The FY25 general fund impact is $706,000.00 and $541,651.14 is SLESA funded.
Attachments:
Sole Source memo
Resolution
Axon Enterprise Quote