DATE: October 6, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Antoinette Taillac, Public Defender
SUBJECT: Agreement with Axon for Evidence Justice Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Under Administrative Policy No. 34 for competitive bids or requests for proposals determine that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement under AP 34 is satisfied and a sole source is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, and that the best interests of the County would be served by entering into an agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc., as Axon Enterprise, Inc. is the sole distributor and manufacturer of Axon Justice Premier; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute an Agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc. for the purchase of Axon Justice Premier, and justice digital evidence management services including online access, data storage, onsite support, and individual licensing for Public Defender staff effective October 6, 2026, through October 5, 2031, total not to exceed $1,400,544.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions, which will determine that an exception to the competitive bidding process has been satisfied and allow the Public Defender’s Office (PD) to enter into an agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc. (Axon) for Axon Justice Premier, a digital evidence management system that is designed to integrate with Axon evidence services. The recommended agreement maximum is not to exceed $1,400,544. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the recommended actions are not approved, the PD will not be able to develop a comprehensive digital evidence management system that would be a valuable tool in the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
The PD requests that the Board determine that an exception to the competitive bidding process required by Administrative Policy No. 34 is satisfied due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances. Axon is the only vendor that provides Axon Justice Premier, a digital evidence management system specifically designed to integrate seamlessly with body-worn camera evidence through the Evidence.com platform.
PD staff require efficient access to digital evidence provided through the discovery process, including body-worn camera footage and other electronic evidence generated by local law enforcement agencies. PD staff are already familiar with and utilize Evidence.com access through existing law enforcement evidence-sharing processes, allowing for minimal implementation requirements and reduced training needs.
Local law enforcement agencies throughout Fresno County, including the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno Police Department, Clovis Police Department, Sanger Police Department, and Reedley Police Department, utilize Axon body-worn cameras and Evidence.com for the collection, storage, and management of body-worn cameras and Taser video evidence. Access to Axon Justice Premier is critical because it connects the PD with the digital evidence ecosystem used by law enforcement and other justice-system partners, allowing attorneys to efficiently receive, review, and manage body-worn camera footage and other digital evidence. This interoperability reduces delays and administrative burdens associated with transferring evidence between agencies and supports timely discovery and case preparation.
Additionally, utilizing Axon’s secure cloud-based platform reduces the need for expansion of County-managed server storage infrastructure to accommodate the continued growth of digital evidence files. This provides long-term operational efficiencies by reducing storage, maintenance, backup, and technology resource requirements associated with managing large volumes of video evidence.
The ISD - Purchasing Division concurs with the PD request for a determination that these unusual or extraordinary circumstances satisfy an exception to the competitive bidding process required by Administrative Policy No. 34.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost (NCC) associated with the recommended actions. The total cost of Axon Justice Premier is $1,400,544. Axon delivery schedules provide for the initial setup and onsite support for access beginning in October 2026. Payments will increase by approximately 4% annually, with total payments not to exceed $1,400,544 over the recommended agreement term. Sufficient appropriations are included in the PD Org 2880 FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget and will be included in future budget requests for the remaining term of the agreement.
DISCUSSION:
On August 9, 2016, the Board of Supervisors approved an Agreement with Taser International Inc. for standard licenses providing video camera access at no cost to the County, which supported the implementation of Axon body-worn cameras for County law enforcement agencies. In 2017, Taser International Inc. rebranded as Axon to reflect the company’s expanded product offerings, including digital evidence management solutions.
Axon, the County’s existing vendor for Taser and body-worn camera platforms, provides digital evidence management services through its Evidence.com platform, including secure data storage, firmware management, system updates, and technical support. Contracting with Axon for the PD would provide a secure and efficient method for accessing, reviewing, and managing digital evidence generated by law enforcement agencies throughout Fresno County.
The PD routinely reviews significant volumes of digital evidence, including body-worn camera footage, surveillance videos, and other electronic records provided during the discovery process. Axon Justice Premier would enhance PD’s ability to efficiently manage this evidence by providing a centralized platform that integrates with the Evidence.com system already utilized by the Sheriff’s Office, Fresno Police Department, Clovis Police Department, Sanger Police Department, Reedley Police Department, and other law enforcement agencies within the County.
A significant benefit of utilizing Axon is the reduction in County server storage demands. Digital video files require substantial storage capacity and continue to grow as law enforcement agencies expand the use of body-worn cameras and other digital recording technologies. Storing evidence through Axon’s secure cloud-based platform eliminates the need for the County to purchase additional server capacity, maintain expanded storage infrastructure, manage backups, and allocate ongoing Information Technology resources toward the storage of large video files. This provides long-term operational savings and allows County technology resources to focus on other critical enterprise needs.
Axon Justice Premier would also streamline operations. Features such as centralized evidence access, automated organization and tagging, transcription capabilities, streamlined discovery workflows, and comprehensive audit trails would allow attorneys, investigators, and support staff to spend more time focused on case preparation and client representation rather than manual evidence management activities.
The recommended agreement contains non-standard provisions, including indemnification language; however, the PD believes the operational efficiencies, enhanced evidence management capabilities, reduced infrastructure demands, and long-term cost avoidance associated with the Axon platform provide substantial benefits that outweigh the associated risks and represent a prudent business decision for the County.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #23, August 9, 2016
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Sole Source Acquisition Request
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc.
CAO ANALYST:
Sevag Tateosian