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APPROVE MOTION TO PURCHASE POLICE EQUIPMENT FROM AXON ENTERPRISES, INC.
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that City Council adopt, by motion, findings to support the purchase of police equipment from Axon Enterprises, Inc.
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Summary
Uniformed officers of the Stockton Police Department (SPD) are assigned and required to wear, several different police equipment items to be used during their daily assignments. Among this equipment is a Conducted Electrical Weapon (CEW), commonly known as a taser. Law enforcement officers throughout the country use CEWs to reduce the use of lethal force by incapacitating an aggressive suspect without permanent injury. CEWs have a warrantied useful life of five years. The SPD has purchased several large batches of CEWs over the last several years in line with the expansion of the force, and as funds were available. That practice is challenging from a budgeting perspective as the amount needed each year varies and is subject to available funds. Axon Enterprises, Inc. has developed a monthly purchase program which eliminates the need to budget large sums of funding every few years by providing a stable monthly payment based on the number of units, and a service agreement whereby the CEW unit, holster, batteries, and cartridges are provided and replaced at regular intervals. Staff is recommending approval of this Agreement, which has an initial year cost of $99,600, and an annual cost thereafter of $129,600. This amount is consistent with what the SPD has been expending and is included in the annual operating budget. The total purchase amount for a five-year program is $619,033, including estimated shipping and handling costs.
DISCUSSION
Background
Axon Enterprises, Inc., formerly known as Taser International, has been providing CEWs to Law Enforcement Agencies for over 20 years. The SPD has been equipping officers assigned to special teams with these devices for more than 15 years. The SPD deploys CEWs approximately 70 times a year. These devices have proven to be an effective tool in de-escalating highly volatile situations and in minimizing injuries to suspects and officers.
Axon Enterprises, Inc. is now providing highly advanced CEWs that have the capability of deploying two separate sets of probes without having to reload the weapon. The new X-2 also records a tremendous amount of data with each deployment, which can then be downloaded and analyzed by supervisory staff. This is valuable information to help limit liability in cases where there is a question as to the appropriateness of the CEW deployment.
Over the last few years, the SPD has made a change to the deployment of CEWs from strictly special teams to all uniformed officers in a field patrol assignment. The changeover has been staggered due to the high cost of the equipment, as well as in line with the pace of hiring additional officers. To that end, the SPD currently has approximately 60 X-26 CEWs which are beyond useful life. These units have become so antiquated, that Axon Enterprises, Inc. will no longer accept these units for repair or service. Consequently, each of these units needs to be replaced as soon as possible. To address this issue, and reach the above-stated goal, the SPD has identified a need for 300 X-2 CEWs.
Present Situation
Currently, the SPD purchases the unit, holster, batteries, and cartridges individually, in bulk, when funds are available and when the equipment is needed. Over the past two years, total annual costs have averaged $70,000 for 140 units. As noted above, the SPD has identified the need for 300 total units to assign one to each uniformed field patrol officer. The Taser 60 program offered by Axon Enterprises, Inc. provides the CEW unit, a holster, batteries, and two training cartridges upon initial purchase. In year three, a replacement battery is provided for each unit. Throughout the five-year term, all duty cartridges are provided at no additional cost and can be ordered as needed. In addition, each CEW will come with a full replacement warranty for the entire five-year period (Attachment A). At the end of the five-year term, the SPD can choose to renew the agreement and replace all units, or end the agreement and continue to use the equipment at cost, without a warranty.
The purchase of 300 X-2 CEWs will equip every officer who works a uniformed enforcement assignment, thereby increasing the safety and security of the officers and the community we serve. Additionally, the purchase of the X-2 CEWs, and its ability to capture such a high level of data, provides additional transparency in the officers’ use of force.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The cost of the program is $36 per month per unit or $129,600 annually for 300 units. There is a $30,000 discount offered for the first year, and the agreement term is five years at a total cost of $619,033, including estimated shipping and handling costs of $1,033. The FY 2017-18 Annual Budget includes sufficient appropriation for this purchase in the Police Department’s Field Services Account No. 010-2422-530 for the first year of the contract. Future contract costs will be budgeted in the same account in the following fiscal years to be approved by Council through the annual budget process. The table on the following page outlines contract costs by year.
|
Year |
Annual Cost |
|
1 |
$ 99,600* |
|
2 |
$129,600 |
|
3 |
$129,600 |
|
4 |
$129,600 |
|
5 |
$129,600 |
|
Estimated Shipping & Handling Costs |
$ 1,033 |
|
Total |
$619,033 |
*with a $30,000 discount
Attachment A - Axon Enterprises, Inc. Agreement