San Bernardino council approves five‑year Axon surveillance deal after heated public debate

The San Bernardino City Council approved a five‑year professional services agreement with Axon Enterprise on May 6, authorizing evidence storage, additional body‑worn camera licenses, a replacement automated license‑plate reader system and a drone‑as‑first‑responder capability.

Supporters, including police department staff, said the agreement consolidates the city’s evidence ecosystem and funds program elements already budgeted or grant‑funded. Lieutenant Jose Castro of the San Bernardino Police Department described the package as an integration of body‑worn cameras, dash‑cams for transport vans, three DFR (drone first responder) units purchased with county grant funds, and the Axon ALPR platform to replace the city’s prior vendor. "We will keep body‑worn footage for evidentiary needs and ALPR reads on a rolling retention schedule," Castro said, explaining that non‑evidentiary ALPR reads would be retained for 30 days while body‑worn recordings persist as needed for investigations and prosecutions.

Opponents argued the contract hands too much sensitive data to a private company and risks downstream sharing that could harm immigrants and other residents. Dozens of residents and advocacy groups urged the council to pull the item, cite privacy and civil‑liberties concerns, and redirect funds to social services, parks or housing. "We demand the council vote no on this contract," several community speakers said during the meeting’s long public‑comment period. Speakers referenced national reporting about Axon’s ties to federal agencies and to algorithms that civil‑rights groups say can be biased.

Council members questioned the data‑sharing safeguards and the budget mechanics. Staff said multiple funding sources would cover the contract: a county grant for the drone component, a recurring COPS‑style/state public‑safety allocation and existing line items the city already uses to operate body‑worn cameras. City IT and police staff told council members that the department retains evidence in the Axon evidence system and that state law (and departmental policy) restricts sharing with federal immigration enforcement agencies.

After extended procedural votes — and a staff presentation on polic e use, retention, and cost recovery — the council voted 6–1 to approve the agreement, with one council member opposed. The motion included direction for a written status report to return to council before the end of the calendar year so elected officials and the public can track implementation, retention practices, and outcomes such as response times or evidentiary value.

What comes next: staff will finalize the contract paperwork and begin rolling out the services according to the funding schedule and grant timelines. Council asked for periodic updates on privacy safeguards, data retention, and any interagency data requests.

Who spoke: Lieutenant Jose Castro (San Bernardino Police Department) answered technical questions during council deliberations. Community speakers included organizers from local civil‑rights and labor groups who urged rejection, several residents who tied surveillance to immigration enforcement concerns, and neighborhood advocates who said city priorities should focus on services and parks.

Meeting action: council approved the Axon five‑year agreement (motion carried 6–1) and directed staff to report back with an implementation/status update before year‑end.