Illinois House Bill 3653, also known as the Illinois Safety, Accountability, Fairness and equity-Today Act (SAFE-T) was signed into law on January 22, 2021 and included provisions for unfunded mandated wear of body worn cameras for all Illinois Law Enforcement Officers. The Department formed an internal project team to research and evaluate implementation of body worn cameras for the Arlington Heights Police Department. Through extensive research, Axon Enterprises Inc. was identified as the most comprehensive and stable platform available in the market.
The Department entered into negotiations with Axon to leverage the most competitive pricing available. After numerous discussions, Axon reduced initial quotes by nearly 20%, resulting in bottom-line pricing of $1,320,681.12 for 5 years. The Axon platform includes body worn cameras, in-squad dash cameras, replacement Tasers, all supported by a single cloud based digital evidence management system.
The Department has proactively submitted application and is awaiting notice of grant funding in the amount of $250,000 for a 2-year term through the U.S. Department of Justice. Focus will be placed on reapplication for any recurrent grants and exploration of additional funding opportunities to further offset this unfunded mandate.
As discussed at the November 8th Budget Meeting, the acquisition will be funded through the Criminal Investigation Fund 231-3003-511.40-11. Adequate fund exists for the first-year expenditure.
The Police Department recommends to the Village Board waiver of competitive bidding requirement and approval of a 5-year contract with Axon Enterprises, Inc., Scottsdale, Arizona for the amount of $1,320,681.12 (approximately $264,000 per year).