Item 08 - In-Car Cameras at the Santa Ana Police Department

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In-Car Cameras at the Santa Ana Police Department February 3, 2026 Page 3 Local Agency Comparison: Several Orange County law enforcement agencies currently operate in-car camera systems: • Orange County Sheriff's Department— First OC agency to deploy in-car cameras (early 1990s); adopted Axon BWCs in 2022; uses Axon for both platforms. • Anaheim Police Department— Implemented in-car cameras in the late 1980s; adopted BWCs in 2014; uses Axon for both platforms. • Costa Mesa Police Department— Implemented in-car cameras in 1998; BWCs added in 2020; transitioned from Motorola/WatchGuard to Axon for both systems in 2024. These agencies' system selections emphasize the operational value of unified in-car and BWC platforms. Cost Analysis: SAPD currently spends approximately $1 million annually on the BWC program (equipment, maintenance, and digital storage). Staff hours are not included in this number. The estimated on-going cost to add an in-car cameras stem is: ALPR Term Total Annual Per Vehicle / Year Excluded 5 Years $1,221,295 $244,259 $2,571 Included 5 Years $1,395,920 $279,184 $2,939 The estimates are based on: • Approximately 95 marked patrol vehicles; • Equipment, installation, maintenance, and data storage; • Compatibility with existing in-car routers. Additional costs may be incurred for vehicles lacking the necessary routers or cellular service. There may also be unidentified or variable costs that are not included in the total amounts above. These include: • Personnel time for processing, reviewing, and redacting in-car video associated with evidentiary needs and Public Records Act (PRA/FOIA) requests; • Potential staffing or overtime needs for digital evidence management. Implementation: Due to its compatibility with SAPD's current Axon BWC environment, Axon Fleet 3 is the most suitable platform for potential deployment.