During Tuesday's County Commission meeting, the board of commissioners deliberated and ultimately granted unanimous approval for the amended Axon Contract, a pivotal step aimed at enhancing the Saline County Sheriff's Office Operations Division.
This decision follows the Commission's prior approval on May 2, 2023, of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office contract with Axon Enterprise, Inc. This initial agreement facilitated the acquisition of state-of-the-art Body Worn Cameras for the Corrections Division and a cutting-edge Interview Room Recording system for the forthcoming facility. Notably, the funding for both systems, totaling $313,548.39, was secured from the jail project budget to cover a five-year term.
In an effort to further bolster law enforcement capabilities, the Sheriff’s Office planned to procure Axon Body Worn Cameras and Axon Fleet Dash Cams for the Operations Division in 2024, leveraging Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Funds. The proposed budget for 2024 allocated resources to implement a five-year payment plan for the Patrol Equipment, with an initial payment of $85,015.60 in 2024 and subsequent annual costs of $85,015.58 for the following four years.
The urgency to amend the Axon Contract for Operations arises from two critical considerations. Firstly, the current system employed by the Operations Division has been plagued by persistent technical issues, adversely affecting media management and the production of high-quality court recordings. Secondly, the Sheriff’s Office is slated to relocate the Operations Division and Administrative Division to the new facility by the end of November 2023. This transition necessitates the transfer of the entire media server and system, encompassing wireless download antennas, a local server, and related accessories. In response to these imperatives, Axon Enterprise, Inc has agreed to install the complete system for both the Corrections Division and Operations Division in November 2023, in advance of the facility move. Importantly, they have extended the offer to defer the initial annual payment of $85,015.60 for the Patrol Equipment until January 2024.
From a budgetary standpoint, the $85,015.60 allocated for the Axon System for Operations in 2024 TIP Funds remains unaffected by this decision.
The motion to approve the RFA was approved 5-0.
