REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Authorize the Issuance of a Ten-Year Purchase Agreement in the Amount of $16,149,402 to Axon Enterprise, Inc., for Body-Worn Cameras, Tasers, Evidence Cloud Services, Unlimited Digital Evidence Storage, and a Suite of Public Safety Technology Solutions for the Department of Public Safety and Approve Budget Modification No. 11 in the Amount of $1,248,708 (F26-207)
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
Approval is requested to authorize the issuance of a Purchase Agreement to Axon Enterprise Inc., of Scottsdale, AZ in the amount of $16,149,402 in the same form as Attachment 1 to the report, for body-worn cameras, tasers, evidence cloud services, unlimited digital evidence storage, and a suite of public safety technology solutions. Approval is also requested for a Budget Modification in the amount of $1,248,708.
EXISTING POLICY
Pursuant to Chapter 2.08, City Council approval is required for contracts exceeding $250,000.
Section 2.08.070(b)(3) authorizes the purchase of goods and/or services to be exempted from the competitive bidding requirements when the solicitations of bids or proposals would be impractical, unavailing, or impossible.
Pursuant to Sunnyvale Charter Section 1305, at any meeting after the adoption of the budget, the City Council may amend or supplement the budget by a motion adopted by affirmative votes of at least four members to authorize the transfer of unused balances appropriated for one purpose or another, or to appropriate available revenue included in the budget.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has utilized Axon products and services since 2015. Currently, the Axon ecosystem supports several core DPS functions. Body-worn cameras record audio and video during contacts with members of the public, and the footage is routinely used for criminal investigations, prosecutions, internal reviews, and public complaint resolution. Conducted energy weapons, commonly known as tasers, provide a critical less-lethal use-of-force option for field operations.
Evidence.com is the City’s digital evidence management system and the repository for storage, retrieval, and sharing of body-worn camera video and other digital files. DPS also uses Axon Standards to manage use-of-force reporting, internal affairs documentation, and program oversight across the department.
DPS is currently operating under a 5-year agreement with Axon for body-worn cameras, tasers, Evidence.com, and Axon Standards that expires on July 31, 2026. Staff explored a new contract before the current contract expired to secure current pricing and provide sufficient time for the transition from the aging Axon platforms. The proposed agreement (Attachment 1) would provide the City with credit for the unutilized months under the existing agreement.
Because Axon’s Evidence.com platform is proprietary and integrated with existing City-owned hardware and digital evidence systems, competitive bidding is impractical. Evidence.com is integrated with Axon hardware. Transitioning to a different vendor would require replacing the City's existing field equipment and migrating its stored digital evidence on a large scale. DPS has determined that such a transition would be costly and impractical, creating operational hurdles and risks related to continuity of access, retention obligations, and evidence chain of custody.
The proposed contract also incorporates a major upgrade of the existing aged tasers to Taser 10, a less-lethal tool carried by every officer. The upgraded technology will improve accuracy and range and is a more effective tool than the 2015 hardware the department currently uses. DPS prioritizes the use of less-lethal tools and de-escalation strategies in its day-to-day operations to resolve high-risk encounters, with the goal of improving safety outcomes for both officers and the community. Tasers allow officers to safely interrupt violent behavior when verbal de-escalation efforts are unsuccessful. The current taser has a lower effectiveness rate, due to limitations related to range, probe spread, and cost-prohibitive training. When a less-lethal option is ineffective, officers may have to resort to higher levels of force, increasing the risk of injury to officers and involved individuals.
The proposed upgrade to the Taser 10 platform directly supports DPS’s emphasis on de-escalation and the responsible use of advanced technology to improve safety outcomes for all parties involved in an incident. Taser 10 incorporates improved accuracy, extended range, and multiple independent probe deployments, resulting in a higher effectiveness rate. This higher reliability increases the likelihood that officers can resolve encounters using a less-lethal option, reducing the risk of escalation and injury. When integrated with DPS’s existing body-worn camera program and use-of-force oversight processes, the adoption of Taser 10 strengthens DPS’s ability to apply proportional force while protecting officer safety, preserving public trust, and enhancing overall community safety.
Additionally, other public safety agencies in the County use Axon’s body-worn camera and digital evidence ecosystem in various forms. DPS’s continued use of the same platform supports interoperability for evidence sharing and review, and helps streamline collaboration with partner agencies on investigations and prosecutions. Maintaining platform continuity through Axon is therefore recommended.
In preparation for the upcoming Axon contract expiration, staff reviewed equipment lifecycle needs, ongoing evidence storage requirements, and emerging operational demands. Based on that assessment, staff negotiated a new master agreement with Axon titled “Officer Safety Plan 10 (OSP10)”. The OSP10 agreement renews the DPS's existing services and establishes a scheduled refresh cycle for major equipment. It also adds new tools intended to support evidence processing and real-time information sharing.
Key elements of OSP10 include the following:
• Replacement of current tasers with Taser 10 devices, with one planned refresh/replacement during the term. The inclusion of a planned taser replacement during the contract term reflects significant value, as the equipment replacement would likely cost approximately $1.5 million.
• Renewal of the body-worn camera program with four planned refreshes during the term.
• Renewal of the Fleet 3 program in the fifth year (2030) of the contract. DPS currently uses this video and automated license plate reader equipment in its patrol vehicles. Staff determined it was more efficient to fold this contract into the master agreement rather than through a separate agreement.
Addition of Axon’s AI-enabled features for translation, transcription, and report drafting:
• The addition of AI-enabled translation and transcription capabilities supports the City’s commitment to equitable access to public services and inclusive public safety practices. These tools enhance DPS’s ability to communicate in real time with community members with limited English proficiency or who face language and communication barriers. By enabling more accurate real-time translation, transcription, and documentation of public interactions, the technology helps reduce misunderstandings during critical incidents, improves the quality of evidence and reports, and supports fair and consistent treatment of all residents.
Addition of the Fusus platform:
• Axon Fusus is a real-time crime center platform that enables DPS to access and analyze live video and other situational data during active incidents. By consolidating feeds from City-owned systems including officers’ body-worn cameras, in-car cameras, drones, and automated license plate readers, and allowing voluntary, permission-based access to private security cameras, DPS gains faster situational awareness and improved operational coordination, resulting in safer outcomes for the community. For participating businesses, this partnership supports quicker officer response to crimes, emergencies, or suspicious activity near their properties. Participation by private entities is entirely voluntary and can be restricted to specific events or timeframes to protect privacy interests.
An option for a Drone as a First Responder program:
• If the option is exercised, it includes three drone refreshes. This program will not be implemented without a full community engagement process including final approval for implementation by the City Council.
An option to implement Axon’s records management system:
• In the future, if the City determines it is appropriate to integrate its records management with Axon.
The proposed OSP10 agreement continues the DPS’s established use of the Axon platform, provides a predictable replacement schedule for public safety equipment, and expands the department’s capabilities in areas identified through a recent operational review. This modernizes the DPS’s core technology systems and improves efficiency across daily operations. Updated equipment, integrated platforms, and enhanced evidence management reduce administrative time, streamline workflows, and shorten report writing, evidence review, and information-sharing times. These improvements allow staff to focus more on core public safety duties, support consistent service delivery, and help DPS manage workload and staffing pressures more effectively.
The Drone as a First Responder program and the records management system remain discretionary. These options would be implemented only if the City determines there is an operational need, appropriate funding, and readiness to proceed.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost for the proposed ten-year agreement is $16,149,402, with annual payments of approximately $1.6 million. The current contract costs approximately $366,000 per year. A like-for-like renewal of the existing contract, without expanded functionality, is estimated to cost approximately $783,000 annually and is not recommended. The proposed agreement represents an increase of approximately $1.2 million per year while delivering expanded capabilities and current technology well beyond the current program.
Budget Modification No. 11 has been prepared to appropriate $1,248,708 from the General Fund Budget Stabilization Reserve for Axon services.
Budget Modification No. 11
FY 2025/26
|
General Fund |
Current |
Increase/ (Decrease) |
Revised |
|
Expenditures |
|
|
|
|
Project P20901 - Public Safety Equipment |
$428,952 |
$1,248,708 |
$1,677,660 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reserves |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Budget Stabilization Fund |
$89,885,644 |
($1,248,708) |
$88,636,936 |
Staff’s preliminary analysis of the proposed agreement’s impact on the General Fund financial plan indicates that the costs are sustainable, but constrain the General Fund’s ability to take on the costs of expanded or new services.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Public Library and in the Department of Public Safety Lobby. In addition, the agenda and this report are available at the City Hall reception desk located on the first floor of City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue (during normal business hours), and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Take the following actions:
- Authorize the issuance of purchase agreement to Axon Enterprise Inc., of Scottsdale, AZ in the amount of $16,149,402 plus taxes for body-worn cameras (BWC) (Attachment 1), taser, evidence cloud services, unlimited digital evidence storage, a suite of public safety technology solutions;
- Delegate the authority to the City Manager to amend the contract to incorporate Axons RMS to the Master Service Agreement;
- Approve a Budget Modification No. 11 in the amount of $1,248,708; and
- Authorize the City Manager to execute the contract when all necessary conditions have been met.
Levine Act
LEVINE ACT
The Levine Act (Gov. Code Section 84308) prohibits city officials from participating in certain decisions regarding licenses, permits, and other entitlements for use if the official has received a campaign contribution of more than $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant in the previous 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to-play-limits-and-prohibitions.html
An “X” in the checklist below indicates that the action being considered falls under a Levine Act category or exemption:
SUBJECT TO THE LEVINE ACT
___ Land development entitlements
___ Other permit, license, or entitlement for use
_X_ Contract or franchise
EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT
___ Competitively bid contract*
___ Labor or personal employment contract
___ Contract under $50,000 or non-fiscal
___ Contract between public agencies
___ General policy and legislative actions
* "Competitively bid" means a contract that must be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
Staff
Prepared by: David Battaglia, Purchasing Officer
Reviewed by: Matthew Paulin, Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Kathleen Boutte Foster, Chief Information Officer
Reviewed by: Daniel Pistor, Director of Public Safety
Reviewed by: Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Tim Kirby, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Amendment 2 to Master Service Agreement