Thurston County invests $4.91M to upgrade law enforcement equipment

Law enforcement in the county is getting a $4.91 million tech upgrade after the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) unanimously approved a 10-year contract with Axon Enterprise on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

The deal will bring modern body cameras, vehicle cameras and advanced tasers to officers. 

The contract, secured through a competitive bid by Sourcewell Cooperative, aims to fix reliability and data management issues in outdated equipment while improving transparency, officer safety and efficiency.  

Interim Central Services Director Bruce Rohrbough presents details on the $4.9 million Axon contract for law enforcement technology upgrades.

JOLT STAFF PHOTO VIA ZOOM

“This is a request for the county to enter into a contract with Axon Enterprise in the amount of $4,911,044.95 over the next 10 years for 100 body and vehicle cameras, 100 tasers and services,” said Bruce Rohrbough, Interim Central Services Director and Fleet Services Manager. 

Why the upgrade was needed 

Officials identified several issues that necessitated the upgrade — aging equipment, inefficiencies in data management, and challenges with transparency and safety. Each of these factors prompted the urgent need for modernization in law enforcement tools and processes.

Outdated equipment

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office has been using X26 tasers, which are now three generations behind current models. 

Sheriff Derek Sanders, who attended the meeting remotely, described the limitations of the X26: 

“The biggest difference is that the current Taser is a one-shot, one-chance taser. So you get into an environment, you attempt to tase someone who’s fighting, they have a jacket on or something like thick clothing — it doesn’t allow the probes to get through. Your taser is obsolete at that point,” Sanders explained. 

In contrast, the Taser 10 provides 10 separate darts, significantly improving reliability. 

Sanders highlighted the extended range and accuracy.

“With the Taser 10, it’s accurate up to 45 feet. Our current tasers, I believe, have a total range of just over 20 feet, but you’re lucky at 20 feet," he said.

Integration and data management issues

Beyond hardware limitations, county officials pointed to inefficiencies in managing digital evidence. 

Existing software "lacks synchronization with other devices" and is “incompatible across agencies like the Prosecutor’s Office and Public Defense,” according to county officials. 

Commissioner Tye Menser called the previous system “totally inferior” for data handling, noting that it caused delays in investigations and court processes. 

Adding to these challenges, Commissioner Emily Clouse shared her firsthand observations during a ride-along with the sheriff, where she saw the operational shortcomings of the current system. 

“I saw how terrible the current system is and how easy it would be for a deputy to not bring their body cam simply because it’s dead, or they have to constantly charge it while they’re driving around,” she said. 

To address these issues, the Axon system links body cameras with tasers, automatically activating cameras during critical incidents. With this feature it eliminates manual operation, guaranteeing seamless recordings. 

On the administrative side, Axon’s data management software is designed to make handling evidence easier, speed up editing sensitive information and improve sharing between agencies, helping to solve long-standing problems in law enforcement operations. 

Transparency and accountability

The integration of body cameras with tasers is also designed to strengthen transparency and accountability by capturing footage automatically during critical incidents. 

“When you take it out of the holster, it’ll start recording everything that happens,” Commissioner Wayne Fournier shared. “They’re a better design, a safer design.” 

Commissioner Carolina Mejia underscored the importance of improving transparency, acknowledging that the county’s initial body camera program did not meet expectations. 

Improved safety

Meanwhile, Fournier highlighted the enhanced safety features of the Taser 10, which reduce the need for physical confrontations. 

“We went over this a couple weeks ago. They reach out further,” Fournier said. 

He also explained the dangers of the current tasers. 

“With the current tasers, you’ll shoot it, and if you miss, you have to remove that, and then go in and touch the person with the taser, which can be extremely dangerous.” 

The Taser 10 allows for nine additional attempts to achieve compliance without escalating to physical force, protecting both officers and individuals. 

Budget and benefits 

The initial funding of $1.49 million will come from reserves and funds collected through equipment rates, as outlined in the 2025 budget. 

Ongoing maintenance costs of $379,000 per year will begin in 2026. The agreement includes automatic hardware upgrades, sparing the county future replacement costs. 

“Staff did a great job of negotiating just an overall better deal prospect,” said Thurston County Manager Leonard Hernandez. “There’s also automatic equipment upgrades that otherwise, outside of this construct … the county would be on the hook to go and pay for those hardware separately.” 

Mejia praised the collaboration between the Sheriff’s Office, Central Services, IT, the Prosecutor’s Office and Public Defense in addressing concerns and aligning priorities. 

Deployment of the new equipment is scheduled for 2025.