Eastpointe council approves 10‑year Axon body and in‑car camera agreement

Eastpointe City Council voted Sept. 2 to approve a 10‑year contract with Axon for body‑worn and in‑car cameras, authorizing the city manager to sign the agreements. The roll‑call vote was unanimous.

Council members debated the contract’s 10‑year term before voting. One councilmember raised concerns that the city charter limits many municipal contracts to three years and that technology and cloud storage costs often fall over time, suggesting a shorter term might save money. The chief of police and the city attorney explained the rationale for the 10‑year agreement: Axon’s pricing offers a long‑term savings, built‑in refresh cycles and integrated services that would be costly to duplicate.

Police Chief James Haines (title used by speaker in packet) told council that Axon provides in‑car camera refreshes every five years at no extra charge and that body‑worn cameras are refreshed every three years under the contract. He said more advanced, AI‑driven features are emerging and predicted those capabilities will increase costs industry‑wide. The chief said the 10‑year pricing yields roughly $29,000 in yearly savings compared with a shorter contract option.

City Attorney Rich Albright explained the contract contains standard termination language, allowing either party to end the agreement with written notice; if the city terminated early it would be required to return equipment. The agreement also includes cloud evidence storage (evidence.com) and the option to add interview‑room cameras in the future.

Council motioned to approve and also directed administration to place a three‑year review on the calendar to reassess pricing and market conditions. The motion carried unanimously on the roll call: Mayor Kleinfeld and Councilmembers DeMonaco, Curley, Shadlick and Baker voted yes.

Ending: The city manager will sign the contract and administration will schedule a three‑year review of the Axon agreement.