“When it comes to updating our software system, in many ways we are still stuck in the 20th century,” Police Superintendent Lawrence Akers said Monday night. “Our records management system hasn’t been updated since 1994 or 1995, unless it was a piecemeal solution just to get us by.”
Akers acknowledged the $7.2 million package is the “elephant in the room.” But he said the cost will be spread over five years and said the department is being hampered by the antiquated technology because it is using software that is no longer designed for many of the things it does today.
While city councilors admitted they were suffering from “sticker shock” after seeing the cost of the new equipment, they agreed it was needed and voted 11-0 to approve the package.
“I’m all for using technology. I think we are prehistoric when it comes to what we are capable of now,” City Councilor Malo Brown said.
The cost when spread over five years isn’t that extreme and Brown said he would also like the department to research more into using the technology from cameras that are now installed in a number of spots in the city as a crime deterrent.
“The superintendent said something that really hit home to me when he said he wants to bring the police force into the 21st century, and he certainly is,” City Councilor Brian Santaniello said. “Job well done and I’m supporting this.”
Police department officials have been researching the issue for eight months and a committee selected Axon as the company to provide body worn cameras, electronic stun guns and the software package. The city already purchases officers’ stun guns from the company, Akers said.
By having all the equipment and software come from the same company it will reduce the different silos officers are working in to do different jobs, he said.
When the city started requiring all officers use body worn cameras five years ago, it used a different company and Akers said the products now are not up to par.
He talked about the importance of having the cameras, saying they have reduced complaints about officer misconduct. They are also required under the consent decree the city has with the federal Department of Justice that was developed after the force was cited in a report released in 2020 for excessive use of force and other misdeeds.
Under the agreement, the department will receive 550 body worn cameras instead of the current 500. It also calls for the company to provide 350 stun guns which can operate from 45 feet away instead of the current 25 feet, which provide more safety to the officer. The stun guns also record once they are engaged bring another level of transparency to the department, Akers said.
Reports show by bundling all the products and the company’s services tied to the equipment and agreeing to a five-year rather than a three-year contract, it will reduce the cost of the package by $2.6 million over the five years.
As part of the vote, the City Council agreed to borrow $2.5 million to pay for part of the package. While the city could bond as much as $3.1 million for the equipment, officials are trying to keep borrowing to a minimum to save interest costs, said Cathy Buono, chief administrative and financial officer for the city.
The council also agreed to use an additional $1.5 million in free cash to meet the expenses of the contract for this fiscal year than ends on June 30.
With the approvals, Akers said he should be able to sign a final contract by March 24 and begin training to prepare for the expiration of the existing contract on April 1.
© 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
