Axon to Equip CBP Agents With Cloud-Enabled Body Cameras

Customs and Border Protection has awarded Axon a $13M contract to equip 3.8K agents with body cameras armed with the company's technology. 

Axon said its Axon Body 3 cameras will enhance transparency and accountability and allow CBP agents to securely store digital evidence in the Axon Evidence cloud platform. 

“Axon is proud to partner with the world-class law enforcement agency that is the U.S. Border Patrol. We will increase agent safety and allow for more accountability with our new body camera program of record,” said Richard Coleman, Axon's federal vice president and general manager and a Potomac Officers Club member.

Axon said its Incident-Driven Video Recording System will provide additional documentation during enforcement incidents and will help agents obtain the evidence they need to do their job. 

The cameras also offer a layer of transparency designed to benefit both CBP agents and the American public, the company said. 

In 2014, CBP launched a feasibility study on the use of body-worn cameras, which was followed by a six-month operational evaluation in 2018. The study recommended a targeted deployment to locations where cameras can most benefit agents and the public.

CBP is currently in the early stages of developing policies for the use of IDVRS, and the specific details of the system's deployment are set to be completed in spring 2021.

IDVRS will be deployed in phases starting 2021 across CBP's sectors in San Diego; Yuma, Arizona; Tucson, Arizona; El Paso, Texas; Del Rio, Texas; Rio Grande Valley; and Swanton, Ohio.

“We look forward to continuing our support of the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” Coleman added.