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Plymouth approves multi-year Axon camera contract and asks lawmakers to require universities pay for municipal policing
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Summary
The select board approved a five-year Axon contract tied to Plymouth State University’s policing agreement and voted to send a letter asking state lawmakers to sponsor legislation requiring universities to compensate host municipalities for police services.
The Plymouth Select Board approved a five-year purchase agreement with Axon for body cameras, storage and related services and unanimously approved sending a letter to state legislators asking them to consider requiring universities to compensate host municipalities for police services.
Chief Buffington explained the police department’s contract terms and how they tie to an agreement with Plymouth State University to provide policing services. He described a five-year, enterprise arrangement negotiated at roughly $100,000, saying "the university is paying $60,000 of that," and that the upgraded contract will add licenses, storage and a hardware refresh schedule that replaces cameras mid-contract to keep equipment and warranties up to date.
Board members discussed the proprietary nature of the storage and device integration and agreed to waive the town’s competitive bid requirement for the purchase order because Axon’s system is tied to taser integration and centralized cloud retention. Chief Buffington explained retention practices: arrests are kept a minimum of four years and incident footage for at least one year, while accidental activations are retained for a shorter, rolling period.
The board then reviewed and approved a letter drafted by town staff asking state representatives and senators to sponsor legislation that would require universities to compensate host municipalities if a campus dissolves its police force and shifts public safety responsibilities to town departments. The draft letter states that Plymouth negotiated a 30-month agreement with PSU but that the university has no legal obligation to renew or compensate municipalities after that period, leaving taxpayers exposed. A motion to approve the letter carried by voice vote; members discussed whether to publicize the letter via the town’s usual channels.
The Axon contract vote was handled by motion and an amended motion to waive competitive bidding; the board approved awarding the purchase order and authorized signature on the order. The approved procurement and the public letter together reflect the select board’s efforts to secure equipment and to press for legislative relief on campus policing costs.
