Title
Taser 10 Upgrade - Citywide
Description
This report provides the Public Safety and Justice Subcommittee with information on the Axon Taser 10 upgrade and requests the Subcommittee recommend City Council approval to enter into a five-year, $22,139,231.33 agreement with Axon for Taser 10.
THIS ITEM IS FOR CONSENT ACTION.
Report
Summary
The Police Department has been equipped with Axon Taser 7 devices since 2019. These devices have a five-year useful life expectancy, as recommended by the manufacturer, that will expire December 30, 2024. Axon has developed the new Taser 10 (T10) model which is similar to the Taser 7 in size, but includes enhanced technology and safety features. The Department is committed to continued efforts to provide officers with less-lethal resources, and the T10 device can be used as another tool that officers can use in addition to focusing on de-escalating a situation.
Improvements
The new version of the Taser brings improvements to the device to increase the device's accuracy and safety. The T10 features individually targeted probes which makes the device more accurate, easier to use and increasingly effective. The range increase from the maximum 25 feet with Taser 7 to now 45 feet with T10 is an improvement which provides additional distance to create additional time for officers to think and/or respond, attain cover, and de-escalate tense situations resulting in public and officer safety.
Additionally, the T10 has a new warning alert that sounds as a deterrent prior to deployment, serves as another opportunity to gain compliance before force is used. In totality, the T10 maximizes the opportunity of officers to leverage time, distance, and cover to further support the safety of officers and community members when engaged in high-risk situations.
Pilot Program and Community Feedback
The Department conducted a T10 pilot program in the Maryvale-Estrella Mountain Precinct between March and May, 2024. For this pilot, 27 officers were outfitted with the new equipment to test the new features and to ensure the new devices are a optimal replacement for the current Taser 7 devices. The pilot was deemed successful and the Department moved forward with engaging the community where participants shared their feedback and expressed full support of the Department's procurement of the T10.
Training
Department-wide training for T10 is estimated to take six to nine months and will be a mix of classroom and scenario-based training. Part of the training will involve virtual-reality (VR) scenarios, which have been shown to increase retention and confidence compared to classroom training alone.
This item has been reviewed and approved by the Information Technology Services Department.
Contract Term
The five-year contract would begin December 31, 2024, and terminate on December 30, 2029.
Financial Impact
The total five-year contract is $22,139,231.33, with the breakdown per-year as follows:
- Year 1 $1,935,254.28
- Year 2 $5,590,734.53
- Year 3 $5,157,426.83
- Year 4 $4,727,907.85
- Year 5 $4,727,907.84
Funds for the first year of the contract are in the Police department's budget. Fiscal Year 2025-26 will require a cost increase of $3.7 million, which will be built into the proposed budget for the department.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Assistant City Manager Lori Bays and the Police Department.