Editor\u2019s note: Transcript provided by Cambridge Artificial Intelligencer<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bedford is moving to significantly upgrade its police equipment and technology.<\/p>\n At a June 23<\/a> meeting, city council members unanimously authorized a 10-year, $5.3 million agreement with Axon Enterprise Inc. for police equipment and software.\u00a0<\/p>\n Axon\u2019s Officer Safety Plan 10 Plus consolidates hardware, software, licensing and ongoing equipment replacement into one contract. The city will pay the total cost in annual installments over 120 months.<\/p>\n The plan for the police department<\/a>\u2019s approximately 90 officers includes:\u00a0<\/p>\n Financial overview<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Bedford Police Chief Bobby LaPenna said the department had opted for an \u00e0 la carte purchasing model in 2021 instead of the then-available Officer Safety Plan 7, passing on features like livestreaming and unlimited auto-transcription because of costs. He was clear that the recommendation this time was different.\u00a0<\/p>\n LaPenna emphasized the value of an integrated system during his June 23 city council presentation.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Axon Enterprise<\/a> system \u201cis kind of that complete public safety ecosystem that exists where basically your Taser, your camera, your computer, your report, the information that goes to your supervisor for review is all collected in one atmosphere.\u201d LaPenna said. Tasers have wireless reporting capabilities.<\/p>\n A key feature is the Technology Assurance Plan, which guarantees that equipment will be replaced throughout the contract period \u2014 meaning the department won\u2019t be stuck with aging hardware.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe hardware refresh is probably the most important thing that comes with this contract,\u201d LaPenna said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to have unnecessary capital proposals in two years saying, \u2018hey, we need 80 more body cameras because these have all failed.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Bedford Mayor Dan Cogan added that financial commitment could help Bedford attract and keep officers in a competitive hiring environment.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they are able to have this equipment, top-notch equipment, all the time, they don\u2019t have to worry about things breaking; they don\u2019t have to spend three hours writing a report,\u201d Cogan said. \u201cThey can just have this new and cutting-edge equipment that makes us probably one of the top agencies around us.\u201d<\/p>\n Cogan also underscored the broader stakes: \u201cIt is a big ask, but it\u2019s the price of security and safety. That is our primary concern and our primary duty here at the city.\u201d<\/p>\n To learn more about how the transcript that informed this report was created, visit Cambridge Artificial Intelligencer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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