San Diego PD Extends Contract With Taser, Will Upgrade To Axon Body 2

The San Diego Police Department recently extended its contract with body camera manufacturer Taser International through 2020.

The $1.9 million contract extension will see upgrades across the board and an addition 300 body camera units, according to The San Diego Tribune. Among those upgrades will be the all new Axon Body 2.

San Diego police Lt. Scott Wahl said the model is set to be released early next year. As part of its contract, the department will be eligible for a free upgrade for all its cameras around July.

The department’s current body cameras run at all times, although the video is not captured until an officer presses the “record” button. At that time, 30 seconds of footage from before activation is saved.

The new models will allow up to two minutes of the earlier footage to be saved.

“When things come up that happen and evolve quickly, officer safety and the public’s safety comes first,” Wahl told The San Diego Tribune. “This gives officers a better chance of getting the camera on and capturing the beginning of that contact.”