FOLEY – A new agreement to buy police equipment will ensure that Foley has up-to-date technology for the next decade while saving more than $100,000.
The Foley City Council voted to approve a 10-year agreement with Axon Enterprises to buy data packages. The total price for the agreement is almost $1.23 million. The agreement includes equipment such as fleet cameras, body cameras and stun guns.
Police Chief Thurston Bullock said the agreement will allow the department to lock in prices that are already scheduled to increase.
“They’re already going up in price in January, so by locking it in, we’re already starting to save money,” Bullock told council members. “Over that 10 or 11 year period, we’re going to save a lot of money and know, each year, for budgeting purposes, exactly what we’re going to spend.”
The department will save $10,707.57 a year under the agreement, a total of $107,057 over the 10-year period of the contract. Bullick said that in addition to saving money, the department can budget for the equipment by knowing what the cost will be.
“That allows us to know exactly what we’re going to spend over the next 10 or 11 years,” he said.
He said the agreement will also provide for upgrades in equipment as technology changes.
“That’s the benefit of locking in because as they adapt, it will change,” Bullock said. “Imagine, a decade in technology is a long time, especially in this modern era. So, we will end up getting better equipment down the road at a locked-in price.”
The city will pay for the equipment in annual installments through October 2033.