The City Commission approved a 10-year, $21.98 million Axon contract for police body cameras, Tasers, AI report tools and first-responder drones.

The Lakeland Police Department will replace its body cameras and Tasers, add artificial intelligence tools and get drones that fly to emergency calls under a new 10-year contract.

The City Commission approved the $21,983,139.93 agreement with Axon Enterprise Inc. 7-0 on Monday. It ends the city’s current Axon agreement and replaces it, according to the Oct. 5 agenda with actions taken.

The details below come from the City Attorney’s Office memo to the commission.

What the contract buys

The agreement covers:

  • new body-worn cameras and in-car video systems, replacing the current ones
  • a switch from TASER 7 to TASER 10 devices
  • digital evidence services
  • expanded virtual reality de-escalation training
  • Axon’s “AI Era Plan,” with tools for report drafting, translation, transcribing and searching digital evidence, policy reference, data capture and case summaries
  • Axon Air, a “Drone as First Responder” system

The memo said the drone system “provides responding personnel with real-time aerial information during emergency calls.” It includes pilot, flight and activity tracking to support oversight and Federal Aviation Administration requirements.

Prices for everything in the contract are fixed for the 10 years. The city’s Purchasing Division approved Axon as the sole-source provider for everything in the contract.

How it is paid for

The cost is spread across the 10-year term.

Funding Amount Status
Total contract cost $21,983,139.93 Approved Oct. 5
Florida Department of Law Enforcement State Board of Immigration grant $3,972,962.18 Reimbursable; applied to the first two years
U.S. Department of Homeland Security stipend $855,000 Received
U.S. Department of Justice grant $7,586,213.37 Applied for; would cover years three to five

Source: City Attorney’s Office memo, Oct. 5, 2026. Agency names as the memo gives them.

The first-year payment is $1,200,077.01. It is lower than a normal year because of credits for time left on the old Axon agreement.

The city budgeted $1,075,530 for the contract in the 2027 fiscal year. That leaves $124,547.01 more needed in year one. The police department will cover it by cutting overtime spending, the memo said, so the department asked the commission for no extra money this year.

The Department of Justice is expected to decide on the grant “later this fall.” The contract can be ended if the city does not set aside enough money for a future year.

What it means for you

  • Body camera and in-car video footage of police encounters will come from the new equipment once it is installed. The memo did not give an installation date.
  • Drones may respond to 911 calls. The memo describes them as giving officers a live aerial view during emergencies. It did not say how many drones, where they will be based or what rules will govern recordings.
  • No extra money was requested this year. The first-year gap is to be covered within the police budget. See our property taxes page for how the city’s budget is set.
  • To comment on police spending, the commission takes public comment at its regular meetings. Our who to call at City Hall page lists contacts.
  • Police activity in the city is recorded in our Police and Fire log.