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Council accepts federal grant for a real‑time intelligence center and to pursue Axon/Fusus integration despite community opposition
Summary
After extended presentations and more than 60 public commenters, council voted 6‑1 to accept Byrne/JAG and Community Project Funding to begin a real‑time intelligence center project and to authorize steps toward a consolidated multi‑year Axon/Fusus contract; opponents cited vendor contract terms, metadata retention, federal entanglement and civil‑liberties risks.
The Asheville City Council on May 12 voted to accept federal community project funding and a Byrne/JAG award to support a Real‑Time Intelligence Center (RTIC) and to pursue a consolidated multi‑year contract for Axon/Fusus software and Axon equipment operations. Interim Chief Jackie Sepp and staff framed the initiative as an operational modernization to improve emergency response, investigative efficiency and evidence preservation by aggregating existing feeds (body and in‑car cameras, fixed context cameras, license‑plate readers and registered private cameras) into a single, auditable platform.
Chief Sepp emphasized restrictions she said would prevent mass surveillance: no facial recognition use, no use for immigration enforcement, audit logs of every access, and a retention policy that purges non‑case footage after 90 days. She said the requested federal grants totaled about $1.14 million for software and a video wall and that the city already pays for parts of the Axon ecosystem; staff argued consolidating multiple existing purchase orders into a 7.5‑year agreement could lock pricing and reduce long‑term costs.
Public comment ran for hours. Opponents—dozens of residents, civil‑liberties advocates, technologists and local activists—urged council to reject the expansion and to withhold approval until a final vendor contract and full public review were available. They cited clauses commonly found in Axon‑type master agreements (metadata retention without a fixed window, vendor unilateral amendment rights, liability caps and data‑sharing provisions), warned of federal access to vendor‑held metadata via administrative legal processes, and noted Axon’s commercial ties to federal clients. Supporters, including a retired federal prosecutor and some neighborhood residents, argued that objective video evidence improves case outcomes, aids victim recovery and can prevent misidentification.
Council debated the policy, legal and procurement implications and whether staff should proceed without a fully executed contract available for public review. The transcript records two council votes: a resolution to declare protections for civil liberties in the city’s use of cameras and to authorize application for/acceptance of Byrne/JAG funds (passed 6‑1), and a companion item to accept and budget the Byrne/JAG award and related items (passed 6‑1). The transcript shows council members expressing concern about safeguards and the need for public education, while staff committed to community outreach, an FAQ and oversight policies prior to full RTIC operation.
What passed tonight authorizes acceptance of grant funds, beginning procurement steps and local policy work; it does not yet finalize the multi‑year vendor master services agreement. Council members and staff said the contract terms and operational policies will be developed and brought back for further council action and public review.
Provenance: Chief presentation and Q&A (SEG 5850–SEG 6570); public comment (SEG 6764 onward); council votes recorded around SEG 8370–SEG 8375.
