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Merriam approves contract with Axon for fleet and body cameras, authorizes $15,000 deposit
Summary
The council approved entering a contract with Axon to replace obsolete WatchGuard equipment. Staff said a 2024 contract engagement with a $15,000 deposit (from equipment reserves) will save roughly $57,000 in fees while invoicing will occur in 2025; council approved the motion 7–0.
MERRIAM — The City Council unanimously approved staff's recommendation to engage a contract with Axon for replacement fleet and body cameras, with an initial $15,000 deposit drawn from equipment reserves.
Police Chief McLaughlin said the department purchased WatchGuard equipment in 2019, but the product line was discontinued after WatchGuard was acquired. After evaluating multiple vendors, staff recommended Axon for its feature set and vendor stability. Chief McLaughlin said engaging the contract in 2024 but taking delivery and invoicing in 2025 would save taxpayers about $57,000; the city would place a $15,000 deposit now from the equipment reserve contingency fund to secure that pricing.
Chief McLaughlin described expected quantities and lifecycle terms: 11 fleet cameras (one per vehicle), 35 body cameras plus one spare (36 total), body-camera refresh at 2.5 years and fleet-camera replacement at five years. He said Axon includes cloud storage as part of the contract, with an unmarked default retention of 90 days for unflagged videos and longer retention when required by case law. Staff noted some maintenance or warranty replacements will be handled through shipping exchanges.
A council motion to sign a contract with Axon to purchase fleet and body cameras in 2025 was made and seconded; the council approved the motion 7–0.
