Committee advances Axon contract amendments and new five‑year agreement to full council

Denver — The Health and Safety Committee voted Dec. 3 to advance two Department of Public Safety contracts with Axon Enterprises to the full City Council, including an administrative increase to the current contract and a proposed five‑year replacement contract.

Emily Locke, legislation and policy director for the Department of Public Safety, told the committee the first item would "increase the maximum spend amount on that contract by adding $450,000" to allow the city to issue purchase orders and pay outstanding sheriff's department invoices. She said the second item requests approval of "a new 5 year contract with the Department of Safety and Axon Enterprises, with a max spend of $27,000,000." The department said the new agreement would cover police, sheriff and fire departments and include hardware, software, professional services, interview‑room recording and digital evidence management.

DPD Commander Cliff Barnes described operational impacts that helped justify single‑bay docking stations and additional devices. Barnes said not having individual docking stations created operational inefficiencies and estimated the department incurs roughly "$80,000 to $100,000" a year in overtime associated with the inability to dock cameras promptly and keep devices updated. He added that approximately 30% of body cameras were not docked during a recent two‑week period, leaving them without firmware and configuration updates.

Sheriff's office representatives said their staff currently use older Axon Body 3 cameras and seek an upgrade to Axon Body 4 units, with an approximate request of 730 devices; they noted many of their Tasers are decades old and out of warranty. Denver Fire Department staff told the committee their portion of the contract is limited to 13 body‑worn cameras for arson investigators and associated storage and docks, which the presenters described as a departmental best practice rather than a legal requirement.

Councilmembers asked detailed questions about costs and procurement. Councilmember Susan Paradis asked why overtime costs tied to off‑duty employment should fall on the city; Commander Barnes said staff are "looking at offset strategies" and may seek contract language to require reimbursement from outside employers for time spent downloading footage. Jamie Torres and others pressed for a clearer breakdown of how costs tied to Denver International Airport (DEN) are allocated; Shanae Cummings, chief financial officer for the Department of Public Safety, explained the city uses a cost‑allocation plan that apportions shared costs based on officers assigned to DEN and said invoices may not break down by specific license type.

Councilmember Kevin Flynn noted the materials provided showed a 19% discount off the NASPO list price for this contract and moved to advance both items to the full council; Councilmember Jamie Torres seconded the motion. Chair Daryl Watson confirmed the committee would "move this to the floor" and the items were scheduled for the city council agenda on Dec. 8.

What happens next: The committee action advances the items to full council consideration on Dec. 8. Committee approval sent the items forward; committee action did not constitute final council adoption. The presentation materials and follow‑up responses requested by councilmembers — including a breakdown of DEN allocations and a current inventory of tasers and cameras — were asked for by councilmembers and remain outstanding.