Lakeland Police Officers Will Have Body-Cameras, Upgraded Technology In 2022: City

LAKELAND, FL — Body-cameras and upgraded technology for Lakeland police officers has been approved by the Lakeland City Commission in a 7-0 vote during Monday’s meeting, according to the city agenda.

A purchase agreement with Axon Enterprise said the city’s costs are fixed at $938,000 per year totalling $9,380,000, to be paid annually during a 10-year period. The agreement provides for the procurement of 250 tasers, 250 body worn cameras, 165 in-car camera systems, 10 virtual reality training headsets and three interview room camera systems, all with associated 10-year warranties and periodic upgrades, as well as access to Axon’s integrated digital evidence storage platform and other accessory hardware and software, city staff said.

The items listed below are included in the agreement, which LPD said will provide a significant technology upgrade to its services and capabilities over the 10-term of the Agreement:

• In-Car Video Systems with License Plate Reader Technology – replaces aging DVD and server-based systems with In-Car Video systems that save to the Cloud, thereby eliminating on-premise storage and enhancing officer safety and investigative capabilities with automated license plate reader technology.
• Taser 7 – LPD’s current Taser Model X26 is seven (7) years old, out of warranty and 10-year-old technology. The new Taser 7 is the newest technology and ensures that LPD’s units remain under warranty throughout the length of the contract.
• Body Worn Cameras – These specific BWC’s by Axon will sync with the Taser 7.
• Auto Redaction Software – Artificial intelligence driven tool that automates redaction of faces, CJIS Information and license plates in videos recorded with Axon devices. This will add efficiency to LPD’s public records and discovery compliance.
• Auto Transcription - Allows for unlimited use of Automatic Artificial Intelligence generated transcription of all Axon camera generated video.
• Citizen for Communities - Axon Citizen makes it easy for law enforcement agencies to securely receive evidence submissions from the community and manage that media in Evidence.com. For instance, a citizen could upload a Ring Doorbell video of an incident. Currently, LPD saves this type of video to a DVD or media card.
• Respond for Devices - Allows for real-time alerts, live mapping of units, LTE connectivity and use of mobile applications on mobile devices.
• Unlimited Cloud Storage – Eliminates the need for on-premise server storage or DVDs.
• Virtual Reality Training Component
• VR goggles for Virtual Reality Training simulations for various types of calls. Includes licenses for all Taser users and unlimited access to all Axon-generated training. This will also allow for more informal and Roll Call training throughout the year.
• Auto-Tagging - Utilizes a feed from the CAD system to automatically tag video with the appropriate category to reduce downtime of Officers having to catalog video.

• Unlimited Evidence.com – Provides one common storage platform that the Department currently does not have for all digital evidence that the Department uses, including audio, video and photographs. This also includes unlimited Cloud Storage with LPD-defined retention periods.

Projected annual costs for the city including payments to Axon and internal costs are approximately at $1,080,354, according to the city. The body cameras and upgrades are expected to be issued to officers in 2022.