O'Fallon council approves 10‑year Axon agreement for tasers and VR training

O'Fallon — The City Council approved a 10‑year agreement with Axon Enterprises on March 26 to provide upgraded TASER 10 devices and virtual‑reality (VR) training headsets to the police department, council records show.

The police presenter at the March workshop said the longer contract secures a no‑cost equipment upgrade at the five‑year mark and allows the department to repurpose remaining funds from an expiring Virtua simulator to cover the first year. Staff said Axon will buy back the department's existing Taser devices and that the contract's early‑signing incentive reduced near‑term costs. The resolution authorizing the agreement capped spending at $1,706,955.47 and was approved in the regular meeting by a unanimous vote.

Why it matters: Staff framed the contract as a long‑term budgeting tool that reduces exposure to large mid‑term price increases and adds a training platform the department says is more flexible than a room‑based simulator. The presenter described Taser 10 as a single‑projectile system with multiple probes intended to increase hit reliability and said new devices include audible and visual alerts that can have de‑escalation effects.

Council questions focused on technical details and budget effects. Council members asked about the maximum deployment range and whether the new model changed voltage or lethality; the presenter said he did not have a study comparing lethality between models but described the Taser 10’s design differences and the department's emphasis on ‘‘time and space’’ to increase officer safety. Staff said approximately $30,000 of first‑year costs would be covered by repurposed simulator funds already budgeted in the current CIP.

Public reaction and oversight: During the citizen comment period a public speaker raised concerns about the contract size and asked whether the city was getting ‘‘bang for our buck.’’ No council member proposed rejecting the resolution; the measure moved forward with a roll call vote that produced nine yes votes and no nays.

Next steps: The resolution authorizes staff to finalize the 10‑year agreement and begin equipment replacement and training rollout consistent with the contract terms. Council materials and staff presentations remain available with the meeting minutes for additional procurement details and contract language.