Wilmington City Council approves new five-year contract for WPD equipment

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Officers with the Wilmington Police Department recently received new body cameras, and on Tuesday night, the city council approved a new contract that will bring more updated technology to the PD.

The five-year contract comes with a price tag of approximately $3.858 million.

The Wilmington Police Department is now utilizing updated body cameras for its officers’ safety as well as yours.

Additionally, the contract with Axos Enterprise, Inc. will include an upgrade to tasers and taser cartridges, live stream monitoring system, auto tag license, interview room software, in-car cameras, and digital evidence storage.

“We’re providing better equipment so that the police officers can protect themselves, as well as protect us, the body cams in the car and on the uniforms,” said Wilmington City Councilmember Clifford Barnett.

The WPD recently received new body cameras that can give officers the ability to stream live video directly from their location.

“Say an active shooter situation and/or a hostage situation, the incident commander, regardless of where they’re at, whether they’re, you know, here at the station or out in the field, they can actually see what that officer is doing, whether they’re going down a hall or clearing a room, you know, looking for victims or bad guys,” said Lt. Greg Willett with the Wilmington Police Department.

Despite the price tag being millions of dollars for the city, leaders say it should actually save taxpayers money.

“All we’re doing is we’re bundling a five-year plan, and it’s going to save us taxpayers at least $700,000,” said Barnett.

Barnett says that the bottom line is that the city wants everyone to go home safely and go back to their families at the end of the day.

Copyright 2023 WECT. All rights reserved.