KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety will be state-of-the-art after approval of a $9-million contract to upgrade its electronic equipment.
It’s patrol car mounted cameras are 20-years old and its body cams are seven-years old. When it comes to technology, that makes them positively ancient.
Chief Dave Boysen says reliability and finding parts has become an issue.
Boysen says they are also nearly maxed out on the capacity to retain data, so they will be converting to the cloud to handle the video coming from the 219 body cams and 61 car cams they use.
He says one new feature is a device that turns the camera on with a button or automatically anytime the officer pulls his gun or Taser, something the old system didn’t have.
Boysen says they will also be replacing their Tasers with new models that work better, especially this time of the year.
The 10-year contract with Axon Enterprises comes with training programs, regular maintenance and equipment upgrades and unlimited data storage. Commissioners approved the deal last week.
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