Martinsville approves Axon contract to outfit reserve officers with body cameras and tasers

The Martinsville Board of Works and Safety voted March 24 to approve a contract with Axon Enterprises to supply additional body-worn cameras and conducted-energy devices to equip the city’s reserve police officers.

Police leaders told the board the purchase was prompted by accreditation standards that require reserves to be outfitted like regular patrol officers. The chief said the department already had three body cameras to outfit some staff and that the new contract would allow the department to outfit existing and incoming reserve officers.

“...if you’re gonna have a reserve program, they have to be outfitted just like the guys on the street,” the police chief said during the presentation. The chief explained the purchase was intended to cover reserves and new reserve recruits.

During the discussion the meeting record includes several numeric references that were not fully consistent: one figure stated verbally as $47,880.21; attendees referred to terms described as “over 8 years” and, separately, discussed a multi-year total described in the meeting as about $434,000. The board expressed that funds for the purchase would come from the Public Safety account identified in the meeting record.

A board member moved and seconded approval; the presiding officer called for the vote and the motion carried.

The board did not adopt changes to policy or the reserve program at the meeting beyond approving the equipment contract. No additional purchase detail or delivery schedule was presented on the record.