Tumwater police outline Axon body‑worn camera rollout, propose 48 devices and cloud evidence storage
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Summary
Deputy Chief John Keeles told the City Council the department has selected Axon under state contract, proposed procurement of 48 body cameras and 29 in‑car units, and described staffing, timeline and privacy controls; council pressed staff on redaction, data access and policy review before deployment.
Deputy Chief John Keeles briefed the Tumwater City Council on Nov. 18 about the department's planned body‑worn camera program and a coordinated move to a single vendor used by neighboring agencies.
Keeles said the department completed a needs assessment, added staff to handle incoming video and is now in the contract phase. "We're proposing that, for 48 body worn cameras," he told the council, and recommended 29 new in‑car cameras to consolidate systems under Axon, which the city selected in part because "Axon was on the state contract" and because neighboring agencies use the same platform.
Staff described operational steps and timeline: procurement and initial pilot testing in late 2025, with camera installation and broader staff training likely to follow in early 2026 depending on contract finalization and vendor scheduling. Keeles said body cameras would be replaced on a 30‑month cycle and in‑car units every five years as part of the vendor agreement.
Council members focused on video retention, review and public‑disclosure handling. Keeles said video will be stored in the Axon cloud and "it's our data," and that release occurs only through public disclosure requests or prosecutor processes. He flagged tools Axon offers to reduce staff time, including a "redaction assistant" that can speed up preparing footage for release but noted staff must still review material before disclosure.
Council members asked for additional policy detail and transparency before full rollout. Some members suggested a public safety committee work session to review the working policy and impact bargaining results with the police guild; Keeles said he will meet individually with council members and welcomes broader input to align the policy with neighboring jurisdictions and community expectations.
Next steps: staff indicated they will seek to finalize the contract, complete procurement, and return with implementation details and any required policy documents; a phased pilot will precede full deployment.