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Goodland moves to replace unreliable police cameras; commissioners favor terminating current vendor and pursuing Axon
Summary
After repeated equipment failures and a recent pursuit where an officer’s body camera reportedly did not activate, Goodland police recommended terminating its Digital Ally contract and pursuing a contract with Axon; commissioners asked staff to prepare termination language and a purchase plan consistent with budget constraints and timing.
Goodland city and police officials told the City Commission they are preparing to terminate the department’s contract with its current camera vendor, citing repeated failures that have left dash and body cameras unusable in the field, and to pursue a replacement contract with Axon.
Police leadership described a recent high‑speed pursuit in which an officer’s body camera "did not activate," a failure they called a serious safety and prosecution concern. The chief said the current system has produced recurring operational problems and that lawyers and prosecutors have demanded footage the department cannot provide when recordings are missing.
Axon representative Jack (present via Zoom) outlined a five‑year package that includes 10 body cameras and 10 car cameras, docking stations, unlimited cloud storage (Evidence.com), a five‑year warranty, on‑site installation and features including GPS/live streaming, license‑plate‑reader options, and AI capabilities that draft report narratives and provide automatic transcripts. Chief and patrol staff described trialing Axon features (live streaming, draft reporting and translation), reporting the draft tool saved officer report time and that the system’s multi‑microphone design performs better in windy conditions.
Commissioners asked about costs and contract timing. Axon’s quote (presented in staff materials) showed a higher annual cost than the current vendor — Axon representatives estimated a five‑year contract value in the mid‑tens of thousands (roughly $96,000 in the materials presented) and estimated an optional AI draft feature would add roughly $50,000 over five years. Staff said they could apply existing year‑one budgeted funds and find an additional $10,000 to cover initial transition costs, with the remainder spread across subsequent years.
Several commissioners said the department needs reliable cameras and that the city should begin the termination and transition process. Staff said they would coordinate with the city attorney to confirm notice requirements (the current contract was described as requiring "60 or 90 days" of notice) and prepare termination and replacement contract documents for a future meeting.
Why it matters: Reliable camera systems are central to officer safety, evidence collection and public accountability. Replacing an underperforming vendor can be expensive up front but may reduce operational disruptions, litigation risk and officer administrative burden.
Next steps: Staff will review the Digital Ally contract with the city attorney, prepare termination notice language, refine the Axon proposal and return a recommendation to the commission at a subsequent meeting.
