Axon Contract Options Comparison

Thunder Bay Police Service | Executive Summary for Decision Makers

Decision Required: Approve Records line items before December 29, 2025 (pricing expiration)

Options: 5-Year Extension (Gord's) vs. 10-Year Strategic Partnership (Mike's)

Key Difference: Mike's deal adds Axon Records, Emeres CAD, Standards, and Notes

Year 1 Financial Impact: Only PSO costs (~$116,666) - licenses start 2028

At a Glance

Option A: Gord's 5-Year Extension

Total (Pre-Tax): $2,743,990

Total (With HST): $3,100,709

Term: March 2026 - Feb 2031

What It Is: Status quo - renew existing products only

Note: Missing Redaction Assistant (must add ~$155,822)

Option B: Mike's 10-Year Strategic Deal

Total (Pre-Tax): $10,341,604

Total (With HST): $11,686,013

Term: March 2026 - Feb 2036

What It Is: Comprehensive modernization with Records + CAD

Includes: All existing + Records, CAD, Standards, Notes

Overlapping Items (Apples-to-Apples Comparison)

These items are in BOTH contracts - comparing like-for-like costs:

Item Gord's (5-Year) Mike's (10-Year) Mike's Per-5-Year Equivalent
Officer Safety Plan 10
80 officers - Taser 10, BWC, Evidence.com
$1,528,752 $3,784,416 $1,892,208
OSP-Unlimited
40 officers - BWC, Evidence.com (no Taser)
$494,016 $1,282,608 $641,304
Fleet 3 Advanced
30 vehicles with ALPR
$475,200 $1,080,252 $540,126
Basic License Bundle
100 Evidence.com Basic licenses
$87,000 $172,000 $86,000
Pro License Bundle
20 Evidence.com Pro licenses
$44,500 $89,000 $44,500
BWC TAP Bundle
11 additional cameras
$33,389 $33,389 $16,695
Interview Room Storage
10 rooms unlimited
$100,314 $224,064 $112,032
Interview Server Maintenance
2 servers
$5,923 $13,231 $6,616
Redaction Assistant
240 users REQUIRED
NOT INCLUDED* $519,408 $259,704
SUBTOTAL - Overlapping Items $2,769,094
*Add ~$155,822 for Redaction
$7,198,368 $3,599,185

*Gord's quote is missing Redaction Assistant which has been in use free for years and must be added. Estimated 5-year cost: ~$155,822 (240 users x $12.99/mo x 60 mo)

Additional Items in Mike's Deal

Required for Records Modernization NEW

Item Details Annual Cost Total (8-10 yr) Notes
Axon Records 365 licenses @ $56/mo $245,280 $1,962,240 Starts March 2028 (Year 3)
Records PSO 5,000 hours professional services $50,000 $250,000 Years 1-5 ($50K/year)
Technical Account Manager Dedicated TAM support $50,000 $250,000 Years 1-5 ($50K/year)
Emeres CAD PSO Implementation services $66,666 $200,000 Years 1-3 ($66,666/year)

Optional but Recommended OPTIONAL

Item Details Annual Cost Total Business Case
Axon Standards 245 licenses @ $15/mo $44,100 $396,900 Halogen replacement - training mgmt
Standards Implementation PSO for setup $8,000 $40,000 Years 1-5 ($8K/year)
Notes 240 users @ $10/mo (discounted) $28,800 $259,200 Mobile note-taking integration
E-Notes Deployment PSO for setup $2,000 $10,000 Years 1-5 ($2K/year)

Year 1 Financial Impact (2026)

Key Point: Records and CAD user licenses do NOT start until 2028.

Year 1 is primarily PSO/Implementation costs only.

Year 1 Cost Item Amount Notes
Records PSO $50,000 Implementation planning & configuration
Emeres CAD PSO $66,666 CAD implementation (Year 1 of 3)
Total Year 1 NEW Costs $116,666 Only implementation costs

CAD Comparison: Emeres (Bundled) vs. Cirrus (Standalone)

MAJOR SAVINGS: Bundling CAD through Axon saves approximately $3.5M+ over 5 years

Item Cirrus Standalone (5-Year) Emeres via Axon Bundle Savings
Implementation/PSO $1,138,655 $200,000 $938,655
Year 1 Subscription $840,372 Bundled* $840,372
Year 2 Subscription $873,987 Bundled* $873,987
Year 3 Subscription $908,946 Bundled* $908,946
Year 4 Subscription $945,304 Bundled* $945,304
Year 5 Subscription $983,116 Bundled* $983,116
5-Year Total $5,690,380 ~$200,000 ~$5,490,380

*Emeres CAD is included in the bundled Axon deal. Only PSO implementation costs are charged separately.

Year-by-Year Cost Comparison

Gord's 5-Year Deal (Adjusted with Redaction Assistant)

Year Payment Date Pre-Tax HST Total
Year 1Feb 2026$542,360$70,507$612,867
Year 2Feb 2027$562,810$73,165$635,975
Year 3Feb 2028$584,078$75,930$660,008
Year 4Feb 2029$606,197$78,806$685,003
Year 5Feb 2030$629,200$81,796$710,996
5-YEAR TOTAL$2,924,645$380,204$3,304,849

Mike's 10-Year Deal

Year Payment Date Pre-Tax HST Total Key Changes
Year 1Feb 2026$827,326$107,552$934,879PSO costs only
Year 2Feb 2027$900,226$117,029$1,017,256+E-Notes, Standards
Year 3Feb 2028$1,145,506$148,916$1,294,422+Records licenses
Year 4Feb 2029$1,145,506$148,916$1,294,422Full operation
Year 5Feb 2030$1,145,506$148,916$1,294,422Full operation
5-Year Subtotal$5,164,072$671,329$5,835,401
Year 6Feb 2031$1,035,506$134,616$1,170,122PSO/TAM ends
Year 7Feb 2032$1,035,506$134,616$1,170,122
Year 8Feb 2033$1,035,506$134,616$1,170,122
Year 9Feb 2034$1,035,506$134,616$1,170,122
Year 10Feb 2035$1,035,506$134,616$1,170,122
10-YEAR TOTAL$10,341,604$1,344,409$11,686,013

Risk Mitigation

Contract Exit Clause - Low Risk

The contract contains a clause that allows Thunder Bay Police Service to exit the agreement entirely in 2026 if extenuating circumstances arise, including:

Bottom Line: Signing now locks in pricing with minimal risk - we can exit if needed without penalty.

Strategic Value: Strength in Numbers

By joining the Axon Records ecosystem, Thunder Bay Police joins a growing coalition of Canadian police services:

OPTIC Partner Services (Already Using Axon Records)

Barrie Police Belleville Police Peterborough Police Chatham-Kent Police

Other Canadian Services on Axon Records

Edmonton Police Grand Prairie Police Manitoba First Nations

Services Strongly Considering

Winnipeg Police Sudbury Police

Benefits of Coalition: Shared best practices, collective bargaining power for future enhancements, inter-agency data sharing capabilities, and unified training resources.

Summary & Recommendation

Factor Gord's 5-Year Mike's 10-Year
Total Investment (With Tax) ~$3,305,000 $11,686,013
Per Year Average $661,000/yr $1,168,601/yr
Records Management Not Included 365 licenses included
CAD System Not Included Emeres bundled (~$5.5M savings vs standalone)
Standards/Training Not Included 245 licenses (Halogen replacement)
Dedicated TAM Not Included 5 years support included
Price Lock 5 years 10 years (protection from inflation)
Exit Flexibility Standard 2026 exit clause available

Action Required

Sign off on Records line items before December 29, 2025

Year 1 impact is minimal (~$116,666 PSO costs). User licenses don't begin until 2028, allowing time for implementation and budget planning.