The Police Department purchased a CAD/RMS system (Spillman, now Motorola) in 2014 and, over time, has updated the hardware and software. The current system integrates the CAD and other third-party components with the RMS system.  Because it requires a small number of servers with each one needing to be maintained, secured, and managed by the city’s IT staff, a significant amount of time is spent supporting the current system. 

Members of the Police Department partnered with IT staff to analyze the system and evaluate how to update it with modern features and applications. Staff determined that the most practical and cost-efficient method of implementing a new solution was for the Police Department to seek a vendor that offers a fully integrated cloud-based CAD/RMS software solution.

In November 2019 members of the Police Department attended a meeting with Axon for a presentation on their integrated CAD/RMS system. Police Department and IT staff members attended a second presentation in October 2020, and were impressed by the advanced functionality, ease of use, and full integration capabilities of the software.

In 2019, City Council approved an agreement with Axon for the purchase and deployment of a BWC/IVS system with Evidence.com digital evidence management. Thus far, the system has exceeded expectations and the Department has experienced exceptional customer support and service from the vendor.

The proposed Axon CAD/RMS solution will tie directly into the Axon Evidence.com digital evidence management system, which is proprietary technology. The RMS portion of the Axon system has an interview data file component for memorializing investigative interviews. It also contains a professional standards module and a third-party video playback feature, all of which directly integrate into the Axon Evidence.com system. Another advantage of the Axon ecosystem is the ability to share documents and digital evidence directly with the district attorney’s office.

The Axon system is cloud-based, which allows for significant cost savings on servers, storage and maintenance performed by City IT staff versus the current CAD/RMS system. Per IT staff, cloud-based systems are preferred as they are less prone to corruption and are not as labor intensive for IT personnel.

The Department’s current BWC/IVS systems are proprietary and will only fully and seamlessly integrate with the proposed Axon CAD/RMS solution. Other vendors have their own CAD/RMS solutions, however, none can integrate with the proprietary Axon system.  Axon also allows for the cost of the system to be spread over five years. It is for these reasons that the Department has determined the Axon solution to be the most efficient and cost-effective choice for this project.

 Pursuant to Garden Grove Municipal Code 2.50.060(G), and based upon the recommendation of the Chief of Police, the Police Department requests that the City Council determine it to be in the best interest of the City to forego the bidding process and select Axon Enterprise, Inc. as the vendor for the Department’s proposed CAD/RMS solution.

The current agreement with Axon for the BWC/IVS system does not expire until 2023. However, should this proposed agreement for a combined solution be approved, the current agreement would be terminated, and all components of the proposed solution would be covered under the new five-year agreement. It will also allow for a new BWC upgrade one year earlier (2021) and a new fleet (IVS) camera system one year earlier (2024), thus providing the Department with new technology and capabilities.

Additionally, because of our continued partnership, Axon has agreed to provide the Police Department with ten (10) new BWCs for our SWAT officers at no cost, aside from maintenance, warranty, and firmware upgrades. This provides a cost savings of approximately $7,000, in addition to mitigating potential future liability for the Department and the City on SWAT operations.

The total cost of the new CAD/RMS system combined with the current Axon camera systems under a new contract is approximately $2,662,951, which is paid over five years. The Police Department currently allocates approximately $196,919 annually for maintenance of its Spillman/Motorola CAD/RMS system and approximately $295,765 for the Axon BWC/IVS system. Should the proposed agreement be approved, these allocations would be applied towards the cost of the new, fully integrated Axon solution beginning in fiscal year 2021-22.

The implementation period for the Axon CAD/RMS System is approximately 18 months. To avoid incurring additional maintenance costs for the existing Spillman system, the Department is striving to go live with the new system by July 1, 2022. Initial licensing and professional services costs in the amount of $128,203 will need to be paid to Axon by early February 2021 to ensure timely implementation.  This is a prorated amount reflecting the cost for the remaining portion of fiscal year 2020-21. 

Funds received from annual allocations of SLESA, restricted law enforcement revenue, will be used to offset additional costs: 

• FY 2020-21: $123,058, from existing SLESA funds currently not being allocated to other uses

• FY 2021-22:  $50,000 (not to exceed amount), from existing SLESA funds to accommodate unforeseen additional costs during the pre-production and implementation phases of the project 

• FYs 2022-25:  $200,392 (spread over four years) with future SLESA revenue to cover the amount not currently in the budget for these systems.  Funds will be appropriated during budget development accordingly.

It is recommended that the City Council:

• Authorize the request to dispense with bidding in the best interest of the City pursuant to Garden Grove Municipal Code 2.50.060(G).

• Award a contract to Axon Enterprises, Inc., in the amount of $2,662,951.13, pursuant to available funds in the budget and supplemental funding; and

• Appropriate $173,058 in SLESA funds to the FY 2020-21 budget for Year 1 for Axon contract costs and for any unforeseen additional costs; and

• Authorize the City Manager or his designee to execute the agreement and make any minor modifications as necessary thereto on behalf of the City