The Mobile City Council voted unanimously this week to approve a $480,775 contract with TASER International covering the purchase and maintenance of body cameras, tasers and related data storage services for the Mobile Police Department.
Public Safety Director Richard Landolt said the approval represents the first year of a five-year agreement that will bring the total contract value to roughly $1.96 million. The deal includes provisions for the company to replace broken equipment and provide upgrades as needed throughout the contract term. Landolt said the item was added to the agenda at the last minute after officials determined the city could realize significant savings by placing the order before the end of March, though the exact savings figure had not yet been finalized.
The vote builds on groundwork the council laid in February, when it approved a resolution to transfer nearly $3.4 million in economic development incentive funds toward police and fire vehicle purchases, along with 300 Taser Axon Flex body cameras for law enforcement officers.
District 3 Councilman C.J. Small called the decision a milestone moment for the city, saying the cameras would help resolve the ambiguity that often surrounds complaints filed against both officers and the public he has heard about frequently since joining the council. District 4 Councilman John Williams echoed that sentiment, calling the equipment purchase an important step forward even though it arrived as a late addition to the agenda. Landolt said the cameras are expected to be fully deployed and operational within the department by mid-summer, with training and logistics preparation beginning immediately.
The council also worked through a lengthy list of other business during the meeting. Members approved the reallocation of $1.6 million in surplus park funds toward turf improvements at Herndon Park, commonly known as Sage Park, setting the stage for a future request to fund three artificial turf fields at the high-traffic facility. Construction on those fields is expected to take about four months, with a tentative completion target in August.
Other approved contracts included $660,800 for litter trap and site improvements on Eslava Creek near McVay Bridge, nearly $388,000 for miscellaneous ditch repairs at several city locations, and $60,025 for resurfacing two stretches of Old Shell Road as part of the county’s transportation pay-as-you-go program. The council also approved a $25,000 surveying contract and signed off on several board and commission appointments, including new and returning members for the Mobile County Foundation for Public Higher Education, the Tennis Center Advisory Board, the Department of Human Resources Board and the Solid Waste Disposal Authority.
Together, the meeting reflected a broad slate of infrastructure, public safety and civic appointments that council members said would keep multiple city improvement projects moving forward in the months ahead.