Crescent City approves 10-year, multimillion-dollar contract with Axon for body cameras, tasers and cloud services over opposition from one council member

The council approved a motion to authorize the city manager to sign a 10-year contract with Axon Enterprise, Inc. for body cameras, tasers, in-car units, software and cloud storage after a multi-hour presentation and public comment period.

Council member (mover) summarized the offer as a bundled, discounted long-term agreement that consolidates four existing contracts and locks in an escalation rate the vendor proposed; finance director Linda Lever presented cost scenarios comparing the consolidated 10-year package to projections using 3%, 5% and 8% annual inflation.

Linda Lever said the city’s current total for the separate contracts is just under $95,000 for the coming fiscal year and that the Axon proposal spreads costs over a 10-year period with a flat-dollar payment for the first five years and an increase thereafter; the proposed escalation in the contract was presented as approximately 3% annually in the packet.

Chief Griffin described operational benefits including automatic activation of body cameras when weapons or tasers are drawn, equipment refreshes, data-search and redaction tools, and training integrated in the service bundle.

Council members questioned the contract’s length, the out clause and what would happen to evidence storage and search capabilities if the city declined future funding; the city attorney explained the contract includes an out clause tied to appropriation (if funds are not appropriated the city may terminate without owing the remainder). Finance and IT staff also warned that cloud storage demand is uncertain and that AI data-center demand could affect future storage costs.

Motion and vote: Council member moved to authorize the city manager to sign a 10-year contract with Axon Enterprise Incorporated for body cameras, tasers, in-car units, software and hardware in the amount read into the record. The motion passed on a recorded vote of 4–1: Council member Altman — yes; Council member Greenough — yes; Council member Chamblin — no; Mayor Pro Tem Tinkler — yes; Mayor Wright — yes.

Contract details and fiscal note: The motion as read into the record listed a contract amount of $1,000,099.477000 dollars and 60¢ (as read); staff explained the payment includes equipment, storage and refresh services, with equipment ownership at the end of the term and continuous upgrades included at defined intervals.

Why it matters: The contract bundles equipment, software and cloud services tied to policing operations and evidence management. Supporters argued it reduces long-term inflation risk and delivers integrated evidence tools; critics said a decade-long contract could lock the city into higher costs if better or cheaper alternatives emerge.

Next steps: The contract authorization directs the city manager to execute the agreement; staff will proceed with implementation steps and integrate the procurement into future budgets and IT plans.