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Kenosha committee approves extended Axon/Onyx contract for body cameras, tasers and expanded police technology
Summary
The committee approved an amendment to extend contracts for tasers and body cameras through 2033 with Axon/Onyx, consolidate interview-room recording, add training and community-feedback tools, and pursue interoperability with county and neighboring agencies; city officials said the changes reduce open-records costs and include AI-assisted redaction with human review.
The Kenosha Public Safety and Welfare Committee approved Dec. 8 an amendment to extend master services and purchasing agreements for police tasers and body-worn cameras to run through 2033 and to incorporate additional capabilities, Chief (police) told the committee. The amendment would align existing Axon products, bring interview-room recordings onto the same platform, provide hardware and software refreshes, and add training and community-engagement tools.
Chief (police) said the proposal includes virtual-reality de-escalation training, a community feedback platform called My90, a system described at the meeting as FUSIS Pro to support a real-time crime center, and drone-related tools to assist responses to unauthorized drones. He said the city negotiated pricing that will reduce operational costs and estimated savings "just shy of a $100,000 a year," and noted broader interoperability benefits if Kenosha County and neighboring Pleasant Prairie adopt the same platform.
Officials discussed the role of artificial intelligence in the package. The chief said AI is already used for tasks including automated report drafting and redaction; he said redaction software significantly shortens the time to fulfill open-records requests, from days or weeks to seconds in some tests, but that human review remains necessary. Committee members asked about FOIA costs and privacy safeguards; the chief said the change would reduce both administrative burden and fees charged to requestors.
The committee approved the amendment by voice vote after discussion of fiscal and operational benefits and the department's plan for hardware refreshes and software updates during the extended term.
Sources: remarks by the police chief and committee members during the Dec. 8 Kenosha Public Safety and Welfare meeting.
