PD Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Requests

The Campbell Police Department has always prided itself on being transparent with the community we serve. The police department recently submitted two Capital Improvement Project (CIP) requests (short and long-term plans for acquiring, improving, and renovating city assets and infrastructure in excess of $25,000) for consideration in the upcoming budget cycle. We wanted to share the information on these requests and ask for your feedback. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please e-mail us at campbellpolice@campbellca.gov.

Officer Safety Plan:

The Campbell Police Department was the first agency in Santa Clara County to begin using body-worn cameras in 2008 and was one of the first police departments in the State. Before body-worn camera technology, we started using in-car VHS recording systems in the 1990s and were one of the first agencies in the nation to do so. Currently, the Campbell Police Department contracts with Axon for our body-worn cameras, in-car cameras, Tasers, and interview room recording system. We were recently provided an opportunity to renegotiate all our contracts under an Officer Safety Plan. 

In addition to cost savings, Axon would provide us with additional services over and above what we currently receive. Some of the enhanced features our body-worn cameras would have include GPS location and sensors that activate the camera and send alerts when an officer's Taser or firearm is removed from their holster, and the ability for a dispatcher or supervisor to remotely live-view an officer's camera. The cameras would continue to have sensors that activate when an officer conducts a vehicle stop, drives to an emergency call for service, or arrives at the scene when another officer's lights are activated. In addition, the cameras would continue to capture 30 seconds before the camera is activated.   

The Officer Safety Plan would provide new Tasers, which are more effective than our current Tasers, which have reached the end of their service life, providing safer deployments and less risk of having to escalate force based on a taser failure. Axon would also provide train the trainer courses to our defensive tactics instructors. Virtual reality training technology is also included, which offers realistic scenarios, including from a potential suspect's perspective. 

The Officer Safety Plan saves a significant amount of staff time by automating the different systems. Examples of this include automatic downloads of video files from body-worn and in-car cameras, software updates, syncing video files with officer call details, automatically assigning appropriate retention periods, improved editing for court discovery and public video release, automated transcription of videos with search capabilities, and the ability for a citizen to upload video and audio evidence directly to our digital evidence storage.   

The total for the 10-year Officer Safety Plan Contract is $1,684,126.49 based on the current negotiated price with payments structured each year over the ten years. Currently, we have three separate contracts with Axon to provide these services with an annual budget of $90,500 (which would be removed if the CIP request is approved). We project that the 10-year contract will save the City approximately $3,000,000 over the contract's life, including CAD and RMS integration.

Rescue Vehicle:

In August 2019, the Campbell Police Department decommissioned its armored rescue vehicle, which had been in service since 1998. Since then, the Campbell Police Department has relied on other agencies in the County to provide armored rescue vehicles and personnel for critical incidents and high-risk pre-planned events. However, during several incidents, armored rescue vehicles were unavailable when needed. As a result, the Campbell Police Department is currently seeking to replace the decommissioned rescue vehicle with a new armored rescue vehicle.     

The rescue vehicle would only be used in situations to facilitate rescue operations, conduct evacuations, provide emergency medical aid in dangerous environments during rapidly evolving critical incidents having a potential of injury or death, and with high-risk pre-planned events. The vehicle's ballistic protection would also provide an environment and opportunity for our officers to de-escalate incidents with potentially armed suspects.

The armored vehicle being requested utilizes a Ford F-550 commercial truck chassis and Ford Triton engine. The vehicle has armored steel bodywork and ballistic glass capable of stopping multiple high-powered rifle rounds. As the vehicle is based on a Ford commercial truck, it does not require a special license to operate. 

The current quote for the rescue vehicle is $290,449.87 with delivery. If the City chose to finance the rescue vehicle over five years, the total amount with interest is $315,658.05. The service life is 25 years translating into $11,617.99 per year ($12,626.32 if financed).

CLICK HERE to view the draft policy for the deployment criteria and use of the rescue vehicle.