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Deerfield board approves Axon storage and Community Request platform for police evidence
Summary
Trustees voted to waive bidding and approve an Axon agreement for unlimited third‑party storage, video support and a Community Request portal; the $85,654.28 contract is budgeted and will be paid over three years. Trustees asked about retention and safeguards; staff described retention rules and administrative controls.
The Village of Deerfield Board of Trustees voted Dec. 15 to waive competitive bidding and authorize an agreement with Axon Enterprise for software and services to support police digital evidence, including unlimited third‑party storage and the Community Request feature.
Chris, speaking on behalf of the police department, said the contract is budgeted for fiscal year 2026 and totals $85,654.28, with payments spread over three years (about $28,551.43 annually). Axon's offering would centralize third‑party video and downloads (for example, Ring doorbell footage and CCTV) to avoid proliferation of copies and to ensure playback and encryption consistency, he said.
Trustees asked how long material would be retained. Chris said retention depends on case type: unflagged general recordings are purged after about 90 days; flagged items are retained according to evidentiary needs—many items are kept two years, some seven years, and certain crucial records may be retained indefinitely. He said administrative safeguards built into the system govern tagging and retention responsibilities.
During questioning board members raised privacy and administrative‑control concerns; Chris described an administrative backend that restricts access, flags evidence and specifies retention schedules. The contract also includes video support to ensure uploaded videos are playable.
The board approved the resolution by roll call. The contract was presented as a budgeted item and staff did not propose additional local funding beyond the appropriation in the FY2026 budget.
The transcript does not record further details such as specific retention schedules by offense or a copy of the vendor agreement; trustees seeking more detail may request those specifics from staff.
