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Bluff City approves $26,550 purchase of Axon body cameras and tasers for police
Summary
The Bluff City Board of Mayor and Aldermen unanimously approved Ordinance 2025-004 authorizing $26,550 to buy Axon body cameras and new tasers for the Bluff City Police Department; board members and police leaders described failing equipment, limited working cameras and operational benefits including automatic activation and supervisor alerts.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen of the Town of Bluff City unanimously approved Ordinance 2025-004 authorizing $26,550 to purchase Axon body cameras and tasers for the Bluff City Police Department.
Officials and department representatives told the board the department has only three working body cameras, many current devices are obsolete or out of service, and new equipment would restore capabilities that officers and prosecutors rely on for evidence, officer safety and documentation.
During the second reading and public hearing, an officer and department supporters described operational features of the proposed system: body cams that automatically activate in certain circumstances, cameras tied to taser deployment so a supervisor is alerted, and built‑in transcription/AI features that can assist officers in preparing reports. Department speakers said batteries on existing cameras are failing and firmware has not been updated since 2016. The board heard that the new system can allow an off‑site supervisor to listen and speak to an officer at the scene and that footage is view‑only for officers (not editable) and can be copied to department systems for reporting and review.
The ordinance authorizes the $26,550 appropriation for fiscal year 2024–25. Council procedure notes in the hearing indicated the procurement includes a multi‑year payment schedule; a board member asked whether payments were spread over five years and was told the purchase and renewal terms include multi‑year components. Department speakers estimated setup and qualification with vendor support and outside instructors would take roughly four to six weeks once equipment arrives.
Board procedure: Vice Mayor Adams moved to pass Ordinance 2025‑004; Alderman Keith seconded. The town recorder called the roll and the ordinance passed unanimously.
The department said the new cameras would also support translation features and, in some cases, an AI‑assisted draft of incident reports based on recorded audio and video; board members and presenters discussed training and the timeline for deployment. The purchase was presented as restoring basic operational capability rather than an expansion of services; the board approved the appropriation from municipal funds as presented.
The department and the board did not set a public release schedule for footage or specify any policy changes to body‑cam access and retention during the hearing. Those operational policies were not changed as part of the ordinance at the meeting.
