SUBJECT/RECOMMENDATION:
Title
Approve an agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc. of Scottsdale, AZ, in the amount of $2,217,407, for the five-year period from August 6, 2020 through August 5, 2025, for the purchase of body camera equipment, digital evidence storage and management, licensing, and training, in accordance with Clearwater Code of Ordinances Section 2.564(1)(d) Other Government Entities Bids; increase the number of full time equivalents within the Police Department by one position and upgrade one officer position to Police Sergeant; and authorize the appropriate officials to execute same.
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SUMMARY:
To create operational efficiencies regarding evidence location/retention, address public records requests, and more appropriately aggregate and control property disposals relating to electronic evidence or items which could be digitized, the Police Department previously issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) #29-18 for a Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS), in cooperation with the City’s Procurement Department. The RFP Committee was comprised of members of the Police Department’s Property/Evidence Unit, Records Unit, Police Department management, and the city’s Information Technology Department. Based upon the proposals evaluated, Axon Enterprise, Inc. (Axon) was selected as the preferred vendor; this award was confirmed by the City Council in February 2019. The agreement provides for a Digital Evidence Management solution which supplies a common platform for all department employees and allows the Police Department to share records with the State Attorney’s Office, private attorneys, and citizens. This program was also anticipated to be the foundational system to develop and implement a Police Body Worn Camera Program (BWC).
In April 2019, the City Council approved the Police Department’s request to incorporate five interview room cameras and one Driving Under the Influence (DUI) room camera into the DEMS. Subsequent to this, the Police Department has added several in-cruiser video systems which are directly compatible with this system.
At the July 16, 2020, city council meeting, the Police Department was directed to incorporate a body worn camera program. The proposed body worn camera program is also a product of Axon and works in integration with the department’s Digital Evidence Management System.
This agreement will provide for 200 Axon “Body 3” cameras, 25 docking bays, storage, licensing, and training to fulfill the Council directive. The pricing included in this agreement was previously competitively solicited and obtained through the National Purchasing Partners (Contract #VH11629), a national resource for public entities for similar public solicitations; the City of Clearwater is a participating member in this partnership.
This five-year agreement supersedes and incorporates the Police Department’s previous Digital Evidence Management system agreement (Contract #900560), in addition to the cost of implementing a body worn camera program. Costs for the initial year of a BWC Program ($521,556.25) and DEMS ($45,401) total $566,956.25 with an annual recurring cost for years 2-5 at approximately $412,612.50 (BWC: $345,012.50 + DEMS: $67,601).
The Police Department is simultaneously requesting an increase or upgrade in the number of full-time equivalents to process body camera videos and management the program as follows:
• Senior Police Records Clerk
• Converting a Police Officer position to a Police Sergeant position
The total cost of the implementation/upgrade of these positions is approximately $68,907. Therefore, the total initial year costs of a Body Worn Camera Program, not including police uniform modifications, is approximately $590,463 ($521,556 + $68,907).
Authorize Clearwater Police Chief Daniel Slaughter to sign the Quote appendix.
APPROPRIATION CODE AND AMOUNT:
A third quarter budget amendment will establish special program P2002, Police Body Worn Camera Program and provide a transfer of $175,306 from special program 99387, Federal Forfeiture Fund, and $170,857 from General Fund reserves.
Additional funding of $270,794 will be transferred in fiscal year 2021 to provide total first year funding for contract costs and uniform modifications.
Future fiscal year contract funding (FY22-FY25) will be required through the annual operating budget process.
USE OF RESERVE FUNDS:
Funding for will be provided by a third quarter budget amendment allocating General Fund reserves in the amount of $170,857 to special program P2002, Police Body Worn Camera Program. Inclusive of this item if approved, a net total of $2,564,294 of General Fund reserves has been appropriated by Council to fund expenditures in the 2019/20 operating budget. The remaining balance in General Fund reserves after the 8.5% reserve is approximately $25.0 million, or 16.4% of the current General Fund operating budget.