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South Lyon approves 10‑year Axon lease for in‑car and body cameras; police add experienced officer and launch bike patrol
Summary
Council approved a 10‑year lease with Axon Enterprise Inc. for in‑car and body‑worn cameras (funded in the FY27 budget), and police introduced new officer Mark Booty and described a forthcoming ebike patrol program.
The South Lyon City Council voted on May 26 to approve a 10‑year lease with Axon Enterprise Inc. to replace aging in‑car video systems and add body‑worn cameras for officers, with funding included in the 2026–27 budget.
Police Chief Unrew said the current in‑car system is past its five‑year service life and unreliable; the proposed lease covers replacement in‑car cameras at purchase and at the five‑ and ten‑year marks and replaces officers’ body cameras every 2½ years for the duration of the contract. Staff reported the annual cost at approximately $41,922 per year for 10 years, including cloud storage, and said the agreement uses state bid pricing. The purchase would provide six in‑car cameras and 18 body‑worn cameras to equip officers and to keep spare units in rotation.
Council members questioned upload and retention procedures, automatic activation triggers (for example when an officer draws a weapon or turns on emergency lights), low‑light capability and policies for muting audio during limited private conversations. Officer Mark Booty and other officers explained that body cameras are assigned to individual officers to preserve chain of evidence, cameras record video with a short pre‑buffer and upload footage at the station or via a direct connection, and some models require holding a mute button so video continues while audio is suppressed. Chief Unrew said prosecutors will have secure access to evidence through Axon Evidence.
Why it matters: the replacement and addition of cameras is intended to ensure reliable incident recording, improve evidence management for prosecutions, and provide additional audio/video perspectives for accountability and training.
The vote: Council Member Popa moved to approve the lease, seconded by Council Member Curtzwell; the roll‑call vote passed unanimously. Approval is subject to final review and negotiation of the master services and purchase agreement by the city attorney.
Context: earlier in the meeting Chief Unrew introduced Officer Mark Booty, a 30‑year law‑enforcement veteran joining South Lyon from Novi; the department also described a bike‑patrol program with mountain bikes and an ordered ebike to support downtown patrols and trail coverage.
