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Report regarding a resolution approving a First Amendment to the Product and Services Procurement Purchasing Agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc. and authorizing the City Manager or designee to execute an agreement. (Amy Sariotti, Police Lieutenant)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council adopt a resolution approving a First Amendment to the Product and Services Procurement Purchasing Agreement (the “Agreement’) for Axon’s Officer Safety Plan 10 Plus bundle (body-worn camera (BWC), mobile audio and video (MAV/Fleet) equipment, tasers, video software, and cloud storage services) with Axon Enterprise Inc. in the amount of $1,937,507.88 and not to exceed $2,737,507.88 in total and authorize the City Manager or designee to execute a purchase agreement on behalf of the City.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
In 2016, a San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report recommended that all law enforcement agencies within the county implement BWC programs if they had not already done so. Since that time, public expectations and evolving law enforcement practices have continued to emphasize transparency, accountability, and documentation of police interactions.
The South San Francisco Police Department has long been committed to these principles and has utilized MAV systems in patrol cars for approximately 17 years. In 2016, the Department implemented a BWC program, which has remained an essential component of daily operations.
In 2021, the City Council authorized the Agreement for a term ending November 30, 2030, between the City of South San Francisco and Axon Enterprise, Inc. to provide body-worn and in-car camera equipment, software, cloud-based digital evidence storage, and related services. It is staff’s recommendation to amend the agreement to expand scope of services/products.
The police department previously purchased conducted energy devices (Tasers) through a separate agreement. The Department's current conducted energy devices are approaching the end of their recommended service life and have experienced normal age-related performance degradation, including reduced battery reliability and diminished ability to maintain a charge. Replacing the existing devices with the Taser 10 platform will provide updated less-lethal equipment designed to enhance officer safety, improve operational reliability, and expand less-lethal response options. The proposed amendment would also consolidate body-worn cameras, in-car video systems, conducted energy devices, digital evidence management, cloud storage, training, and related services into a single integrated contract.
Axon Enterprise, Inc. offers a comprehensive array of technology, hardware, and software services at the core of the South San Francisco Police Department’s operations. The proposed Axon Officer Safety Plan 10+ is designed for agencies with fewer than 100 sworn personnel and includes:
- Axon Body 4 (body-worn cameras)
- Fleet 3 (in-car camera systems and automated license plate recognition (ALPR))
- Taser 10 (conducted energy devices)
- Axon Evidence (digital evidence management)
- Axon AI Assistant (translation)
- Community Link (evidence portal)
- Axon Virtual Reality (VR) training platform
- Axon Outpost (fixed ALPR cameras)
- Cloud storage, warranties, hardware replacement, and software updates throughout the term of the contract
The proposed system provides an integrated platform for capturing, managing, storing, and securely sharing digital evidence. The updated Axon Body 4 cameras provide real-time connectivity, allowing authorized personnel to view live video during critical incidents when appropriate. The system also includes translation assistance for officers during encounters when an interpreter is not immediately available and enables investigators to securely request digital evidence submitted voluntarily by members of the public.
The Axon Fleet 3 consists of two cameras; one in the front of the vehicle and the second in the prisoner compartment. ALPR technology is built directly into the Fleet 3 system, reading license plates across three lanes of traffic at speeds up to 140mph.
Axon Assistant provides officers with real-time language translation through the body-worn camera when a human interpreter is not immediately available. The system supports translation in more than 100 languages and is intended to assist officers during interactions with members of the public.
Axon’s Community Request feature enables officers to securely request and receive digital evidence submitted voluntarily by members of the public through the Axon Evidence community portal.
Axon Outpost are fixed automated license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras. These cameras are designed to identify and capture vehicle license plate information under a variety of operating conditions, including nighttime, higher vehicle speeds, and multi-lane roadways.
Axon’s Taser 10 conducted energy devices are designed to provide officers with an expanded less-lethal option during encounters where the use of force may be necessary. Compared with previous models, the Taser 10 offers an extended deployment range of up to 45 feet, individually deployable probes, and improved accuracy and reliability, providing officers with additional opportunities to safely gain compliance while creating greater time and distance to de-escalate encounters. The system also includes replacement cartridges, training cartridges, rechargeable batteries, holsters, instructor certification, and user training. These enhancements are intended to improve officer safety and expand less-lethal response options, which may reduce the likelihood that officers must resort to lethal force in appropriate circumstances. The agreement also includes Axon’s VR training platform, which provides scenario-based training focused on critical decision-making, de-escalation, communication, and tactical response.
The Police Department's current integrated body-worn and in-car camera system has been in service for approximately five years. Replacement of the existing equipment will ensure continued reliability, manufacturer support, and compatibility with the Department's digital evidence management platform.
Body-worn and in-car camera systems have become standard tools in modern law enforcement. They provide objective documentation of police and community interactions, assist in criminal investigations and prosecutions, support officer accountability, improve evidence collection, and may reduce litigation costs by providing accurate recordings of critical incidents. Digital evidence collected through these systems also assists the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office and other criminal justice partners during the prosecution of criminal cases.
The proposed amendment will allow the Police Department to continue utilizing an integrated technology platform that supports evidence management, officer training, and public transparency while maintaining compatibility with existing regional criminal justice partners.
PROCUREMENT
The City’s procurement of supplies, equipment, and services is generally conducted through Open Market Procedures. This process requires staff to obtain quotes or issue request for proposals (RFPs) to solicit vendors depending on the cost of the goods and services.
In this instance, staff recommends amending the Agreement utilizing the sole-source procurement method to purchase the Axon Officer Safety Plan 10+ bundle, Taser 10, and AI Assistant, and related equipment.
The South San Francisco Municipal Code 4.04.080 (a) permits the City to dispense with open market procedures if a commodity can only be obtained by one vendor.
Staff have determined that sole-source procurement is appropriate because the proposed amendment expands and replaces the Department's existing Axon ecosystem, which currently supports the Department's body-worn cameras, digital evidence management, and evidence-sharing workflows. Procuring a different vendor's platform would require the replacement of existing infrastructure, migration of digital evidence, retraining of personnel, reconfiguration of evidence management workflows, and modifications to integrations with the Department's Records Management System and regional criminal justice partners.
Axon's platform is Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliant and maintains ISO 27001 certification, demonstrating adherence to recognized information security standards for protecting criminal justice information.
The proposed amendment includes hardware replacement, software licensing, cloud-based evidence storage, technical support, warranties, ongoing software updates, and scheduled equipment refresh at approximately the midpoint of the contract. Entering into an amendment also provides lower annual pricing than a shorter-term agreement while providing continuity of operations and predictable budgeting.
The total cost for the additional products and services under the amendment is $1,937,507.88. The total five-year cost would be spread out as follows:
- Year One: $365,762.11
- Year Two: $392,936.44
- Year Three: $392,936.44
- Year Four: $392,936.44
- Year Five: $392,936.45
The contract with Axon includes the following:
- 79 Axon high-definition BWC (Axon Body 4)
- 9 Axon BWC bay docks
- 28 Axon in-car camera systems (Fleet 3, front-facing camera and prisoner cage camera with integrated ALPR)
- 79 Taser 10 (conducted energy devices plus holsters)
- Axon AI Assistant (translation)
- Community Request (evidence link)
- 7 Axon Outpost (fixed ALPR cameras)
- Unlimited cloud-based storage
- Video management software
- Five-year warranty on all equipment and service
- Refreshment/replacement of all BWC’s at the 2.5-year mark
FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost of the proposed five-year agreement is $1,937,507.88, which includes equipment, software licensing, cloud-based evidence storage, warranties, maintenance, technical support, and scheduled hardware replacement during the contract term.
Funding for the first year of the amendment is included in the FY 2026-27 adopted budget with $270,063.11 of Measure W funds and $95,699.00 of Public Safety Impact Fees. Funding for subsequent years will be considered as part of the City's annual budget adoption process and will remain subject to future City Council appropriations.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES ACTION PLAN
This agreement supports the major focus area of Modern and Sustainable Organization to continue to emphasize transparency, accountability, and documentation.
CONCLUSION
Body-worn cameras, in-car video systems, and conducted energy devices have become integral components of modern law enforcement operations. The Police Department's current body-worn and in-car camera systems as well as the conducted energy devices have reached the end of their service life and require replacement to maintain operational reliability, manufacturer support, and compatibility with the Department's digital evidence management system. The proposed replacement of the Department's conducted energy devices with the Taser 10 platform will provide updated less-lethal equipment designed to enhance officer safety, improve operational effectiveness, and expand less-lethal response options during critical incidents.
Approval of the proposed amendment with Axon Enterprise, Inc., will provide updated body-worn cameras, in-car video systems, conducted energy devices, digital evidence management software, cloud-based storage, officer training resources, and ongoing technical support under a single integrated agreement. The proposed amendment will also maintain interoperability with regional law enforcement agencies and the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office while supporting the Department's continued commitment to transparency, accountability, and effective public safety services.