Jonesboro committee forwards proposed Axon equipment agreement to full council after chief details upgrades and savings
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Summary
The Finance Administration Committee voted to forward Resolution 26,005 — a proposed multi-year agreement with Axon Group Incorporated for body-worn cameras, vehicle cameras and tasers — to the full City Council after Chief Charles Coleman described included firmware upgrades, replacement cycles and roughly $200,000 in avoided price increases.
The Jonesboro Finance Administration Council Committee voted to forward Resolution 26,005 to the full City Council, a proposed agreement with Axon Group Incorporated to provide body-worn cameras, vehicle cameras and taser equipment for multiple city departments.
Doctor Charles Coleman was recognized to answer questions from the committee. Coleman said firmware upgrades are included with the Axon package and are installed automatically "every time you dock your camera," and that the system also updates vehicle equipment. "All the firmware upgrades are included in the package," he said.
Coleman told the committee that the city saved about $200,000 by renewing the agreement early to lock in 2025 pricing. "The big deal is we saved about 200,000, because there was gonna be some price increases," he said, adding that the equipment would be ordered on approval and likely arrive in late spring or summer rather than waiting until the current contract expires in September 2026.
On device replacement, Coleman said Axon rotates body cameras every 2.5 years and replaces tasers and vehicle cameras every five years. He described a vendor-supported fleet retrofit process in which technicians retrofit roughly 130 patrol cars within one to two weeks and stressed that the contract is a full-service package that includes overnight replacement for failed cameras.
Coleman also clarified the contract’s budget contingency: the resolution states funding is included in the FY2026 budget and that the city may terminate the agreement with 30 days’ notice if an appropriation is not approved in a future budget. "If the wheels fell off the cart and funding across the city just went away completely, we can give them a 30 day notice at any time and terminate the contract," Coleman said.
The resolution text read at the meeting cites the city’s prior use of Axon, the contract’s September 2026 expiration date, and the NASPO state contract as the basis for not requiring a separate competitive bid. The committee moved the resolution forward to full council for final consideration.
Next step: Resolution 26,005 will be placed on the full City Council agenda for a final vote.
