Brentwood council reviews proposed Axon five‑year equipment renewal; grant to cover first year

Brentwood officials heard a detailed briefing Dec. 2 on a proposed five‑year contract with Axon to update police body cameras, add in‑car cameras, upgrade TASER devices and introduce virtual‑reality training.

Police Chief Anthony Ayers described the package as an early renewal that would replace the department’s Axon Body 3 cameras with Body 4 models, add vehicle‑mounted cameras and move the department from TASER 7 to TASER 10. “We’re trying to get this now while we’re applying for grants so we get a better deal,” Ayers said, adding the upgrades are intended to improve officer safety and transparency.

Noah Nickerson, Axon account manager, said the integrated system is designed so device events trigger recordings across the ecosystem: “If the taser is armed, if it’s pulled out of the holster, the cameras are turning on,” he told the council, and noted the back‑end platform keeps body, in‑car and TASER metadata linked in a single evidence record.

Chief Ayers told the council that a grant would cover purchase and the first year of service as well as vehicle installation; he said ongoing annual costs would need to be budgeted after that. Ayers cited an estimated annual contract cost in the roughly $27,000 range after the grant period and said enforcement‑related citation revenue was a planned funding source for future payments. Staff agreed to provide the council a historical contract breakdown and a full cost estimate for post‑grant years.

Council members pressed Axon and staff on several points: battery and recording time (Axon said Body 3 cameras typically record about 8–10 hours new while Body 4 cameras record about 12–14 hours), where footage is stored (Axon: evidence.com with access controls), hardware‑refresh terms at contract end and the details of the vendor’s VR training module. Axon said VR is an enhancement to allow more frequent, scenario‑based practice and to reduce live‑cartridge use during recertification.

Town Administrator Shelley Dorsey Washington asked about legal and evidentiary implications of switching to TASER 10, noting that county partners do not use that model. The council asked whether county personnel could serve as expert witnesses if litigation involved a TASER 10. Chief Ayers and Axon said training would be provided by certified private trainers and that master instructors and vendor legal teams can provide expert testimony; staff offered to request written confirmation from county offices for the council’s record.

No vote was taken on the contract at the work session. Council members directed staff to return with a full cost comparison, the current contract history, clarification of what the grant covers in writing and documentation addressing the county‑testimony question before the item is placed on a meeting agenda for formal action.