The Board of Commissioners approved a five-year master services agreement with Axon on Oct. 6 to outfit the sheriff’s department and community corrections with TASER 10 devices and related services, replacing the discontinued X2 model.

County officials said the Axon X2 stopped being manufactured in March 2024 and the department needed a replacement. “That's when I learned the Axon X2 taser quit being manufactured in March 2024,” said Sherry, speaking for the sheriff's department. After demonstrations, department administrators favored the TASER 10 because its multiple probes can increase the chance of effective contact in settings such as jail cells where mattresses or coverings can prevent a two-probe hit.

The contract approved by the commission ties two quote attachments to the county’s existing Axon master services agreement and includes equipment, cartridges and instructor training. The board approved a five-year total of $914,815.22 for the sheriff’s department and $102,683.40 for community corrections. The agreement also covers cartridge resupply at no additional charge and allows community corrections staff to be trained as in-house TASER instructors.

The sheriff’s office described operational reasons for choosing TASER 10: “We never thought of, or he says, you know, here's a jail setting ... if they're covered up with jail mattresses and clothing and all kinds of items, that's hard to get that shot to land,” Sherry said, summarizing the vendor demonstration. The department also emphasized cost control for annual recertification; under the new contract, cartridges used for certification are provided through the agreement rather than purchased separately.

The commission moved and seconded the contract approval during the meeting; the motion passed on an oral vote recorded as “aye.” No roll-call breakdown was provided in the transcript.

The board and the sheriff’s representative said the agreement will bind the new quotes to the county's existing master services agreement, and that Axon will deliver cartridges on request. Community corrections will be able to send personnel to Axon training sessions to develop internal TASER instructors.

The commission did not discuss alternative devices at length during the public session and no public comment on the contract was recorded. The contract was presented as reviewed by the county attorney prior to the vote.