Council approves power to police shed and move to Axon body cameras to replace aging system

Preston — The City Council authorized the police department to proceed with two operational improvements: adding permanent power to a storage shed used for maintaining vehicle batteries and procuring an Axon body-worn camera system.

Police Chief Dan McCampman told the council that replacing batteries in the MRAP and a donated ambulance has been costly and logistically difficult without nearby power hookup. He presented a 2025 bid of $4,038 for the electrical work and said the cost is included in this year’s police budget. Council approved the work and asked the chief to confirm the vendor and current pricing before contracting.

On body-worn cameras, the chief reported that existing WatchGuard software is no longer supported; the department received bids from WatchGuard/Motorola, Lenslock and Axon. An outright purchase with upgraded software was estimated at about $24,695; Axon’s cloud-storage option carries a quoted five-year annual service fee of about $8,091 (chief said Axon’s pricing will increase in 2026). The council approved moving forward with Axon, citing continuity with the county and prosecutor, improved redaction tools and streamlined discovery workflows.

Council requested staff return with contract details and the chosen procurement approach (outright purchase vs. annual service) and noted potential grant opportunities for body cameras that the chief had previously pursued.

Next steps

The police chief will confirm vendor pricing, finalize contract terms and return to council or staff for purchase authorization and funding allocation. Redaction and interoperability requirements should be addressed in the contract language.