Crook County commissioners approve Axon camera purchase quote, subject to legal review

Crook County commissioners voted to approve a binding quote from Axon for body-worn and in-car camera systems on Sept. 17, 2025, with execution of the final contract deferred pending legal review.

The approval, made during a presentation by the undersheriff and an Axon representative, covers 29 body cameras with scheduled refreshes, in-car (fleet) cameras and licenses for the evidence.com cloud platform. Undersheriff Bill (last name not provided) told the board the county’s current Getac equipment will be unsupported after Jan. 1 and described ongoing problems with picture quality and battery life under the county’s existing system.

“The proposal today is that we move to Axon,” the undersheriff said, outlining capabilities including live streaming, a 13-hour body-camera runtime, automatic upload to evidence.com and built-in redaction tools. Axon staff emphasized integrated features such as automatic camera triggers, GPS, license-plate-reader integration for the fleet system and software-based redaction the county has lacked under its present setup.

Alex, an Axon account representative, told the board the company can perform on-site installation and staff training and handle future vehicle refresh installs. He said the fleet cameras will pinpoint license-plate hits on a map and that license-plate recognition can alert deputies in-vehicle when a flagged vehicle passes by.

County Finance Director Christina Herron said vacancies in the sheriff’s budget create available funds this fiscal year and possibly next so the county can move forward without an immediate $448,020.90 lump-sum payment; Axon also offered an interest-free five-year payment option at roughly $89,000 per year. The undersheriff said the proposed 60-month contract includes scheduled refreshes so the county receives new body cameras every 30 months and replacement fleet camera sets during the contract term.

County counsel Eric (last name not provided) cautioned that the nonbinding estimate in the packet is not a contract and that the county must verify cooperative purchasing prerequisites before signing a binding quote. Axon told the board it had provided a binding quote that uses Sourcewell cooperative-contract terms that would govern the purchase if the county elects to sign.

After discussion, commissioners approved the binding quote for Axon “subject to legal counsel review,” and directed staff to proceed with review and final execution if legal checks are satisfied. Commissioners Permerich and Barney were recorded as voting in favor during roll call of the aye votes.

Costs outlined in the presentation included a total cash price of $448,020.90 or the interest-free five-year payment plan. Presenters said the bundle pricing and the shared account arrangement with the city’s public-safety IT services produced negotiated savings compared with separate purchases. Installation and training were included in the quoted amount, and the county expects to maintain evidence storage and redaction capabilities that would streamline public‑records responses and district attorney evidence transfers.

The board’s action was limited to approving the quote subject to legal review; the county attorney will confirm cooperative‑procurement compliance and return to the board if further approvals are required.

The county aims to replace unsupported equipment before Jan. 1, when the current cameras are scheduled to be out of support.