Mayor Katie Wilson announced an expansion of Seattle’s CCTV surveillance network Thursday, telling a closed press conference of Seattle journalists she had little choice but to hire U.S. Department of Homeland Security contractor Axon to provide the system.
Axon, a multi-billion dollar weapons manufacturer, has been awarded $147 million dollars in DHS contracts since 2008, according to records from the U.S. Department of Treasury. That includes $43 million from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and another $83 million from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In just the past 12 months, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and CBP have awarded Axon $8 million each.
Asked at her press conference why the city has contracted Axon for its surveillance camera program, given its lucrative deals with ICE and CPB over the past year, instead of some other company, Wilson said:…