RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – On Wednesday, the Reno City Council will consider an eight-year, $22 million contract with Axon Enterprise that would significantly expand and consolidate the police department’s cameras, drones and artificial intelligence tools under a single private vendor.
The proposal would roll several existing contracts into one package, including body-worn cameras, Tasers, in-car cameras and digital evidence storage. Drivers would also have their vehicles scanned by more than 200 additional automated license plate readers. More drone technology and AI software would also be added. City officials have said the move is meant to streamline systems and change vendors, not fundamentally alter how police use the technology.
The deal comes after Reno announced plans to end its contract with Flock Safety following community concerns about license plate reader surveillance. Under the Axon agreement, the company would replace Flock’s hardware with its own, including solar-powered outpost cameras and an expanded network of plate readers around the city…