Recently, Axon hosted a webinar to announce the launch of its latest product - Axon Body 4 (AB4). During the session, we received an overwhelming response from the attendees, who asked many intriguing questions about the new product. In this blog post, we'll cover some of the most impactful questions and their answers we gathered during the event.

Let’s take a look at the three major categories of questions we received and the top questions in each.



The first set of questions were related to the camera's features. Attendees wanted to know about the battery life, compatibility with existing products, and the aspect ratio.

Regarding the battery life, we stated that the target is to have 14 hours of runtime at launch without POV connected. This 14-hour runtime assumes 720p recording, 10 hours of buffering, 3.5 hours of recording, and 0.5 hours of livestreaming. With the POV attached, we're targeting 13 hours of runtime.

As for compatibility with existing products, AB4 is compatible with the existing AB3 charging cables. However, a new docking station will be required for AB4.

Regarding the aspect ratio, we discussed that both the 4:3 and 16:9 aspects show more field of view than the AB3. The 4:3 aspect ratio has slightly reduced horizontal field of view but provides a lot more vertical field of view. Agencies may still choose 16:9 because most modern screens currently use that aspect ratio, and videos recorded in that format would occupy the entire screen.



The second set of questions were about the Flex POV module, which is an add-on accessory that quickly attaches to AB4 to allow for recording from different perspectives. Attendees asked about the compatibility of the Flex POV module with Flex 2 mounts, whether videos captured with AB4 and POV module appear together in Evidence.com, and the timeframe between the end of POV video and activation of the BWC camera, should the Flex POV module be disconnected.

We answered that four of the Flex 2 mounts will work without any changes, and eventually, all the mount types on Flex 2 will be available for use with the new Flex POV module. The videos captured with AB4 and the POV module will appear separately in Evidence.com. Finally, there will be a 5-6 second delay between the end of the POV video and the activation of the BWC should the module be disconnected.


Category 3: Bi-directional Communications



The third and final set of questions were about bi-directional communications, a new feature in AB4 when used in concert with Axon Respond. Attendees asked about its potential use cases, whether it can replace the radio, and if it can be used without a livestream.

Regarding the potential use cases, we provided several examples, such as remote mental health support, requests for translation on the scene, and providing in-the-field team members with coaching and support remotely. However, we clarified that bi-directional communications would not replace the radio, as it is primarily designed to work alongside it. The feature is intended for scenarios where an officer may want support from someone who typically wouldn't have access to the agency's radio, such as a translator or a mental health specialist. Finally, bi-directional communications can only be used during a livestream.

The Axon Body 4 launch webinar provided valuable insights into the capabilities of the AB4 camera, the Flex POV module, and bi-directional communications. If you missed the webinar, don't worry - you can still watch the recording on demand here. And if you're interested in learning more about the AB4, make sure to visit the product web page and please reach out to your Axon representative who can answer any outstanding questions you might have.

Additionally, we would like to invite you to register to attend the Axon Voyager roadshow, which is coming to a town near you soon. This will be an opportunity to get hands-on time with the Axon Body 4 and learn more about its capabilities. We hope to see you there!


Recently, Axon hosted a webinar to announce the launch of its latest product - Axon Body 4 (AB4). During the session, we received an overwhelming response from the attendees, who asked many intriguing questions about the new product. In this blog post, we'll cover some of the most impactful questions and their answers we gathered during the event.

Axon Body 4 Webinar Q&A

BLOG: Axon Body 4 Webinar Q&A

Here are some of the most impactful questions and their answers we gathered from the Axon Body 4 Launch webinar.

Dramatic body-worn camera (BWC) footage often makes its way into the news, and yet, the everyday realities of policing are often much different. The average agency generates anywhere between 500 to 2,000 BWC videos per day, many of them featuring unsung heroes, mixed in with mundane welfare checks, and in some cases, documenting patterns of problematic behavior that, if early intervened, could help avoid a grievous incident down the road.

“Regular BWC audits help supervisors not only catch people doing the wrong things, but also the right things so they can provide recognition, coaching and even rewrite policies to fit reality,” says Thuc Nguyen, Product Manager for Axon Performance. However, the high volume of videos generated daily makes audits incredibly time-consuming, and logistically nearly impossible to perform on a regular basis, especially for larger departments.

That’s why Thuc’s team spent two years working to resolve the administrative challenges of reviewing vast amounts of BWC footage. “We wanted to get it right,” Thuc explains, knowing that supervisors doing BWC audits need to juggle a lot of priorities and viewpoints, and the vast pressure law enforcement agencies feel to treat all parties fairly. Priority Ranked Video Audit (PRVA) is the result of the team’s efforts.

We sat down with Thuc to talk about the new feature and how current and new Axon Performance users can utilize PRVA to complete their BWC audits in a matter of a few clicks. 

Priority Ranked Video Audit is the latest feature available as part of Axon Performance. It uses speech-to-text and keyword searching algorithms to find videos that contain language indicating specific behavior and surfaces footage with the highest volume of these keywords for review. On top of that, it also flags critical moments in which a TASER device was triggered, or a firearm was unholstered (Axon Signal Sidearm).

Agencies can also customize the keyword search algorithm with their own keywords and keyword phrases most appropriate for their department needs​​. These can be phrases with negative sentiments like “stop recording me”, “stop resisting”, “I can’t breathe”, “show me your hands'' or phrases with more positive sentiments like “thank you officer” or “have a nice day”. They can also be specific to your department or area, like the name of a local gang. Once the set of keywords is determined, PRVA scans, scores and ranks all incoming footage in the background.

When a supervisor is ready to do an audit, all they have to do is click “Review Now” and begin watching the most relevant video. Supervisors also have the option to watch multiple BWC feeds from the same incident as well as Axon Fleet footage in the same video player, in order to get multiple perspectives on an incident.

The moments where keywords and TASER/Signal Sidearm events appear in the recording are already auto-flagged so auditors can easily jump to those “critical moments” of the video. The video player runs alongside a searchable transcript which also highlights the keywords.

Here’s a quick video overview of how PRVA works. 

Priority Ranked Video Audit helps supervisors make more impact with less time by flagging videos containing preset keywords, TASER trigger and Signal Sidearm events.

Priority Ranked Video Audit - Demo

How is PRVA different from other “AI” solutions?

Unlike other solutions, PRVA does not assign officers “professionalism scores” for managing common incidents. Instead, supervisors review the video with their own eyes and make their own assessment about the officer’s action. That, Thuc says, was an intentional decision. 

“[Axon] Performance keeps humans in the loop,” he explains, because treating officers fairly is not only an employee morale consideration, but a legal obligation for most law enforcement agencies who cannot cherry-pick the BWC they review during audits per agreements with police unions. PRVA abates this concern by focusing on potentially problematic behavior and spreading out the reviews evenly among officers, not single-targeting specific officers.

How can law enforcement agencies use PRVA to streamline the BWC audit process?

When Thuc’s team first started developing PRVA for Axon Performance, many police departments were conducting BWC audits via pen and paper. A supervisor would sit down, pick a few random BWC videos to review per month or quarter, and then watch the entirety of the video, filling out paper forms by hand – a tedious and not always productive task.

In fact, Thuc says that one of the pain points often brought up by their law enforcement partners is the unhelpful nature of selecting videos at random. Supervisors had no way to weed through footage to get to videos exhibiting good training moments or issues that needed to be addressed.

‘Performance’s automated workflow is a quantum leap compared to that cumbersome paper-based approach,” Thuc says. Most of the work happens automatically – saving an enormous amount of time – but supervisors and chiefs are the ones making decisions about what to do with surfaced footage. The human element isn’t lost, but neither is precious time sorting through hours upon hours of benign traffic stops, welfare checks and accidental camera activations.

Since its official launch in October 2022, 92 agencies are already using PRVA to simplify their BWC audit process. The Aurora Police Department is using PRVA to continuously improve their officer’s performance and come up with better solutions for their communities, stressing that making BWC reviews easier is not just about catching bad behavior. In an interview with CBS Colorado, Lt. DJ Tisdale said, “I think this shows just how much APD is committed to working to show our transparency and to improve ourselves as an agency and help our officers do the best they can.” 

Current Axon Performance customers can activate PRVA in their dashboard anytime. If you’d like to chat with someone from our team or need help getting started, reach out to our customer support team.

Body-worn camera reviews can be used to drive change and recognize outstanding performance in police departments. But they’re also a time-consuming task. Learn how Axon Performance’s PRVA feature can help you reduce time spent on BWC reviews.

How to Leverage PRVA to Improve Body-Worn Camera Review Process

BLOG: How to Leverage PRVA to Improve Body-Worn Camera Review Process

Focus your review efforts to drive meaningful change in less time

February is a busy time for Scottsdale, Arizona, as the city plays host to the Waste Management (WM) Phoenix Open, the highest-attended golf tournament on the PGA Tour. An event of this magnitude requires a vast amount of security resources, and 2023 posed a special challenge: The Super Bowl was scheduled for the same week, also in Arizona, only 30 miles from the Waste Management Open. 


With the potential for strained security resources between the two behemoth sporting events, Axon New Ventures joined forces with Axon Aid, Axon Air, Scottsdale Police Department, and Thunderbirds Charities to accomplish a first-of-its-kind aerial security proof of concept. Throughout the operation, Axon leveraged tools and technology from Arizona State University’s Luminosity Lab, FUSUS, Axon Air powered by DroneSense and Dedrone to ensure local police departments had the resources they needed to provide a safe and fun environment for The Open.

We sat down with Karl Schultz, VP of Axon New Ventures, to learn the ins and outs of managing surveillance logistics for a massive, multi-day event. 

The challenge: Securing a temporary event space with over 200,000 single-day attendees

The WM Phoenix Open is a world-renowned PGA tournament and charity event held every February at TPC Scottsdale. While attendance numbers haven’t been released since 2018, the tournament often hosts up to 700,000 attendees throughout the week, with Saturday alone seeing over 200,000 people. This is quite the security challenge for Thunderbirds Charities, a non-profit organization in the greater Phoenix area that oversees the event.

On top of the sheer number of people on site, the WM Phoenix Open is a far rowdier event than your typical golf tournament — especially at the 16th hole, dubbed “The Loudest Hole on Earth.”

“It’s more Happy Gilmore than Augusta,” Karl explains. “To see hundreds of beers going over the fence onto the green, it’s not exactly a ‘classic’ golf moment, but you can tell everybody there is having a blast.”

The WM Phoenix Open is so large that each year, temporary buildings and checkpoints extending well beyond the standard borders of the golf course and resort are erected, meaning several miles of event perimeter to oversee, in addition to general crowd monitoring. 

“Hundreds of thousands of people are going to roll into a confined space over the course of a couple of hours in various states of inebriation,” Karl says. “ You want to maintain safety, and you also don’t want to quell a good time. That’s the balance that the Thunderbirds are tasked with achieving each year.”


The solution: Partnership to provide coverage

Heading into 2023, Axon New Ventures proposed a security plan that would provide the Thunderbirds with bolstered security at no cost while also providing an invaluable live test case for Axon New Ventures’ aerial robotic security system, featuring a full suite of products and solutions from the Axon ecosystem.

“We started planning this idea two years ago,” Karl explains. “We thought this would be a great opportunity. It's local, and the Super Bowl was also scheduled to happen around the same time on the other side of town. We knew these events would be a drain on resources for law enforcement, and we wanted to help."

Axon New Ventures partnered with Axon Aid, Axon’s corporate social responsibility arm, to make this idea into reality.

The first major piece of Axon New Ventures’ aerial security system was two Security Operations Centers to help Scottsdale PD manage security during the event. Axon HQ, located within a few miles of TPC Scottsdale, served as the main hub for drone operations in North Scottsdale, while Axon Voyager, a 40-foot tractor-trailer kitted out with TVs and communication equipment, would oversee foot traffic south of the event in Old Town Scottsdale.

These operations centers were hooked into Scottsdale PD and TPC Scottsdale security feeds. By scanning QR codes provided through the Axon Air powered by DroneSense platform, officers could instantly pull up a live security feed from Axon drones on any smart device. And increased situational awareness through Axon Respond enabled Scottsdale PD to respond to situations quickly and with up-to-date information.


In addition to Security Operations Centers, Axon needed a flexible solution to help monitor the event from a bird’s-eye view. That’s where the ASU Luminosity Lab came in. They developed a fleet of balloons fitted with a suite of cameras and sensors that could be deployed across event grounds for the duration of the tournament.

“The balloons were a brilliant addition from the Luminosity Lab,” Karl explains. “Each balloon was outfitted with a super high-fidelity camera and a secure, water-proof Pelican case to house the balloon’s battery and electronics.”

The Luminosity Lab built a dozen balloons and branded them with logos featuring event sponsors. They then deployed them around the city to provide Axon, Thunderbirds Charities and Scottsdale PD with an aerial view of event traffic at the WM Open and the most congested areas in Downtown Scottsdale.

In addition to the broad event security coverage provided by ASU’s balloons, Axon Aid deployed several traditional and tethered drones to surveil the event. This drone coverage was truly the core of Axon New Ventures’ proof of concept security operation.

Axon Aid is no stranger to drone operations. Axon Aid has a disaster response program that provides no-cost support to first responders and their communities in the aftermath of devastating natural disasters. This program includes an emergency response team of FAA Part 107-trained drone pilots who are skilled at operating drone technology in difficult conditions and terrains. Thanks to this expertise, Axon Aid was well-equipped to manage drone operations during the event.

“Axon Aid is Axon’s charitable arm,” Karl says. “But the emergency response team is the one that responds to hurricanes, tornadoes and other natural disasters around the United States to support law enforcement agencies and communities. In this case, we suspected that there would be a significant demand for drone operations. When you look at who flies drones at Axon, Axon Aid is the epicenter of our Part 107 pilot cadre.”

Axon Aid and key Axon Air personnel ran operations for the duration of the WM Open, working cross-functionally in conjunction with Thunderbirds Charities, Scottsdale PD, the PGA Tour and the FAA. 

The biggest obstacle to pulling off security coverage of this magnitude was receiving the clearance to fly in Class-D airspace.

“Scottsdale Airport is less than a half-mile away from Axon and a half-mile away from the golf course,” Karl explains. “Normally, you’re not allowed to fly a drone in that space.”

The FAA granted Axon Aid a waiver to fly drones within this airspace, which allowed the team to fly both manual and Axon Air Remote Drone as First Responder (DFR) missions to provide video security of the event, as well as coverage of outlying areas, like parking lots. 

“That waiver gave us a lot of flexibility,” says Karl. “On day two, the crowds started to pile up, preparing for the sprint to the 16th hole. Along with the regular morning traffic, there are blocks and blocks of foot traffic backing up — literally tens of thousands of people. So the Thunderbirds and Scottsdale PD asked us, ‘Can we get eyes on the event just to make sure the crowd is moving effectively and make sure there aren’t any flare-ups?’”

Axon Aid utilized a variety of tech partnerships to flesh out its coverage. Axon Air powered by DroneSense provided several operational partners with QR codes to access live drone video feeds throughout the event. Dedrone enabled the team to detect, identify, and mitigate unauthorized drone activity. And FUSUS pulled everything together, integrating into Axon’s Security Operations Centers.

Axon Aid flew over 150 flights within the five-day event for 30 total flight hours, providing consistent day and night coverage for all partners. During the operation, Axon was able to detect a few unauthorized drone operations and inform the police of their presence. 

Axon Aid also prevented several fence jumpers from crossing the grounds at night. Karl explains: “One side of the golf course borders houses. Some people staying in the area were tempted to hop over the fence. With thermal imaging, it’s pretty easy to find them at night. We were able to intervene just through the presence of the drone. We didn’t need to send a security officer — they saw the drone with the spotlight, said, ‘Well, you got me,’ hopped back over the fence and ran away.”

The benefit: Improved coordination led to a safer community

Through the integration of Axon Aid and Axon Air’s drone security coverage, Axon’s tech partners, ASU Luminosity Lab’s balloons and coordination with Scottsdale PD and Thunderbirds Charities, the WM Open went as smoothly as anyone could have hoped.

“Overall, the project was a huge success,” Karl says. “Everything worked as advertised. The coordination with Axon Aid and both Scottsdale PD and Thunderbirds was amazing — just great individuals who just want to have a good experience in a good event. We were thrilled with the public-private partnership there.”

Karl already has ideas to improve the system for next year’s Open. “We learned a lot about how to operate more efficiently, more effectively,” Karl explains. “For next year, we’re going to start planning and flying earlier to make sure things are moving as they should and allow Scottsdale PD to have better situational awareness.

“But at the end of the day, seeing the tech work together was everything we hoped it would be. That was the biggest challenge. We know all of these things work independently. How do they work together? The answer was ‘pretty darned well.’”

Contact us today to learn more about how Axon’s ecosystem of services can improve outcomes.

The Delta Logo, the Axon & Design Logo, Axon, Axon VR, TASER 7, and TASER are trademarks of Axon Enterprise, Inc., some of which are registered in the US and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2023 Axon Enterprise, Inc.

How Do You Keep "The Biggest Party in Golf” Secure? Read how Axon Air, Axon Aid, and the Thunderbirds collaborated to secure the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

How Do You Keep "The Biggest Party in Golf” Secure?

BLOG: How Do You Keep "The Biggest Party in Golf” Secure?

Axon Air, Axon Aid, and Securing the People's Open

Six months ago, we launched our moonshot goal to cut gun-related deaths between police and the public by 50% in the next 10 years. Since then, we’ve received encouraging support for the goal, as well as questions about how we’ll achieve it. But whether we’re talking to a member of law enforcement familiar with our products and mission, or a community member less knowledgeable about Axon’s technology, almost everyone can agree that this is a problem worth solving.

In 2022 alone, 62 officers and 1,096 civilians lost their lives in gun-related incidents between police and the public, according to leading sources*.This number has risen steadily and tragically for several years, representing devastating losses to families, communities and the United States as a whole.

In a new mini-documentary, we give context for why we feel compelled to pursue our moonshot and who we’re convening to help us achieve it.

“Police officers lose their lives, and community members lose their lives. How do we prevent both from happening?” asks U. Renee Hall, Ret. Chief of Dallas Police Department in the video.

Axon was founded on a bold idea—what if there was a better, less lethal alternative to a firearm?—and continues to add to our portfolio of innovation, as well as to the portfolio of big ideas that we believe will protect life. Our moonshot is the latest such rallying cry focusing our team on solving an intractable problem. You can read more about the background here.

In many police encounters today, body-worn video can be the difference between a community in healing and a community in distress. Similarly, we know the moonshot goal, if misinterpreted, can result in division rather than collaboration. And it’s why we’re proud today to share the video below, produced in partnership with Freethink, to help tell the moonshot story. This is the first of many chapters that will unfold over the next decade.


We’re in the early stages of this work, but the clock is ticking. We invite you to follow our progress at thisisourmoonshot.com, and sign up if there’s an idea, skill or technology you feel you can contribute. We thank our partners to date, and those who will join us over the next 10 years.



*Sources: Washington Post Police Shootings Database and Fraternal Order of Police Monthly Update: Police Officers Shot and Killed


A new mini-documentary details the latest on efforts to cut gun-related deaths between police and the public

This is Our Moonshot: “How can we prevent these deaths from happening?”

BLOG: This is Our Moonshot: “How can we prevent these deaths from happening?”

Communication is among the most important tools in any first responder’s kit, and Axon is helping it evolve. The release of Axon Body 4 marks a significant upgrade to foundational functionality, as well as powerful new bi-directional communications and Watch Me features.

The Axon Body 4 body-worn camera (BWC) is Axon’s latest development ensuring that first responders and private security can communicate with support teams safely, reliably and effectively. The new BWC features bi-directional communication that allows Axon Body 4 (AB4) users to communicate with support teams to see what’s happening in a developing situation.

The Axon Body 4 introduces “Watch Me”, which puts streaming control directly into the hands of users. When the user hits the Watch Me button, they send a request to have a support team watch their back, allowing them to receive advice and assistance remotely.

There are numerous scenarios where AB4 and Respond+ benefit the wearer. The following use cases demonstrate some of the ways that AB4 can help users navigate day-to-day challenges.

Law Enforcement – De-escalating a mental health crisis

With Body 4 and Axon Respond+, officers can connect with in-house specialists via Evidence.com for 1:1 communication.

Suppose a dispatcher receives a call for service (CFS) related to a person in crisis (PIC). The call is assigned to an officer and the department’s Mental Health Specialist (MHS) is asked to join the livestream. As the officer approaches the scene, they begin to record on their AB4 camera. The MHS then opens a livestream on the Respond mobile app, where they can oberve the behaviors of the PIC and assess their mental condition.

The officer uses his training to keep the situation from escalating. After some observations, the MHS believes that the person experiencing a mental health crisis displays symptoms of acute psychosis. The MHS recommends that the officer bring the PIC to a mental health clinic for further psychiatric evaluation and the situation is resolved peacefully.

Law Enforcement – Sending backup to an officer

The Axon Body 4 is built from the ground up to support users in the field. If an officer needs support but is unsure of their location, they can use Respond+ and Watch Me to connect with a support team member who can locate them and send backup. 

An officer is dispatched to search for a suspect at a large corporate complex where a theft had been reported. The officer arrives at the location and searches the perimeter before entering the building. Once inside, he notices someone that matches the description of the suspect. The officer approaches, but the suspect begins to flee from the building.

The officer pursues, chasing the suspect on foot out into the corporate complex. The complex features numerous attached units, and the officer is unsure of his location once he’s outside.  He presses the Watch Me button on his AB4, which sends an alert to his dispatcher on the Respond desktop app. The dispatcher opens the alert and watches the livestream footage broadcasted from the AB4. Using the AB4’s bi-directional communications features, the officer informs the dispatcher of the situation, requesting backup to intercept the suspect as he continues to chase them. The dispatcher views the officer’s location, confirms his well-being and dispatches backup to help catch the suspect. Backup arrives quickly, and the responding officers are able to apprehend the suspect.

Transporting a patient to a hospital is a high-risk period for medical care. EMTs don’t have as many resources to aid patients as hospitals do, and it can be difficult to gauge the best treatment options without additional information on a patient’s condition. However, Axon Body 4’s 1:1 communication allows EMTs to connect with Medical Directors to find the best care solution while en route to a hospital.

An EMT transporting a 65-year-old fall victim who fell from a 15-foot ladder could press the “Watch Me” button on their AB4 and connect with a Medical Director at their EMS agency, who would then a livestream of the EMT’s footage via the Axon Respond app. The victim is conscious but bleeding severely from their nose, which is deformed from an injury. The EMT relays the information to the Medical Director along with the patient’s vitals, the time the injury took place and where the patient is being transported from. The EMT then asks for direction on how best to stymy the patient’s bleeding. The Medical Director provides the EMT with step-by-step direction on how to treat the injury, improving the patient’s outcome while still en route to the hospital.

Enterprise Security – Suspicious person encounter

In enterprise settings, security guards may find themselves alone and without support. The AB4 camera’s Watch Me features and bi-directional communication allow private security easier access to helpful resources, making interactions more efficient and ensuring security guards are safe on the job.

A lone security guard is on patrol during a shift at a mall. They spot a suspicious person behaving erratically outside a store and approach, pressing the Watch Me button on their AB4 as they get close. The command center receives a notification and begins watching the AB4’s livestream via the Respond desktop app. The guard is trying to understand why the person is on-premises and asks for their ID. Using 1:1 Communication, the guard discusses the person’s identity with the command center and determines that they’re a potential threat. 

The situation becomes more confrontational, and the person begins to threaten the security guard, who is unarmed. The command center witnesses this situation and asks if they feel safe. The guard replies “no” and the command center is able to call for backup from the local police department. The police arrive, and the situation is resolved without violence.

Enterprise Security – Responding to a customer complaint

It’s not uncommon for private security to encounter unruly customers during a sporting event, concert or any other large gathering. Security guards must navigate these situations carefully, so as not to ruin the experience of other fans in the crowd or expose the company to potential lawsuits. The most effective method to solve fiery customer interactions is communicating with security leaders, which the AB4 streamlines with Axon Respond+. 

For example, security may receive complaints about an intoxicated fan in the stands of a sporting event. A security guard is sent to investigate the issue and de-escalate the situation, pressing the “Watch Me” button on their AB4 as they approach the intoxicated customer’s section. A security leader receives a notification about the livestream and tunes in. The intoxicated customer is using slurs and picking fights.

The situation is not de-escalating, so the security leader sends more personnel to assist the lone security guard. Upon arrival, the group is able to de-escalate the problem and the individual calms down. A guard remains there to monitor the situation. The intoxicated customer creates issues again, and the security leader gives the guard the green light to eject them from the event. The situation is resolved, and other fans no longer have to worry about their experience being spoiled.

These are just some ways that first responders and security personnel can use Axon Body 4 and Respond+ to gain greater effectiveness in the field. Together, they give field responders and command staff an unprecedented level of communication, improving outcomes for all parties involved. 

Axon Body 4 is the perfect complement for existing radio communications devices. Read here to see how its bi-directional communication can be used in the field.

Axon Body 4’s Bi-Directional Communication Bolsters Situational Awareness Axon Body 4

BLOG: How Axon Body 4’s Bi-Directional Communication Bolsters Situational Awareness

Two-way communication between first responders and command is the next step in operational efficiency

How Axon Body 4’s Bi-Directional Communication Bolsters Situational Awareness

Axon has had its eyes set on a moonshot goal: cut the number of gun-related deaths between the police and the public by 50% before 2033. Every new product, feature and update Axon crafts has been built with that mission in mind. Today, Axon is making headway towards that goal with the launch of the next generation of body-worn camera (BWC), the Axon Body 4 (AB4).

The Axon Body 4 is the culmination of innovations that began with the TASER CAM, which was mounted under TASER devices and recorded audio and video from each deployment.

From there, Axon collected feedback and insights from law enforcement to iterate on the next generation of police cameras. 

"Having a record of what occurred during a TASER deployment is helpful, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. There’s always going to be something that led up to that officer pointing it at someone. That was the first insight." - David Mesri, Axon’s Senior Director of Body-worn Cameras

After the TASER CAM came the Axon Pro. Lessons learned from the Axon Pro influenced the design of the Axon Flex camera, and eventually, the Axon Body line. By the time Axon Body 2 came around, Axon’s BWC was hitting its stride.

“Axon Body 2 was the culmination of all this good customer feedback from Axon Body 1. We honed in on keeping it simple, focusing on a few core feature sets,” Mesri says. “We hit that sweet spot where there was a real need and interest from law enforcement and the general public."

And, finally, Axon released the camera that law enforcement, EMT, private security, and other industries know today: Axon Body 3. Where the Axon Body 2 was similar to a GoPro camera, Axon Body 3 is more analogous to a cell phone. 

Axon Body 3 marked a significant departure from conventional BWC technology. More than just a recording device, it’s a rugged communications beacon that enables law enforcement to livestream their situations intuitively. It sends alerts to permissioned staff during certain events, like when a weapon is deployed, and can track an officer’s location to help ensure their safety. The Axon Body 3 set a new standard for BWC, and now, the next generation is here to raise the bar even higher.

The Axon Body 4 builds on the foundation created by Axon’s previous cameras, innovating on the core feature set that made them effective. Axon is redefining the upper limits of those features, opening more potential utility for BWC users in the field. There are advantages to both BWC and POV (point-of-view) cameras, but they’ve traditionally been distinct entities. With Axon Body 4, the wearer can attach a POV module, making it easier to change perspectives during scenarios like horseback-mounted patrols.

Mesri says, “It should reduce some of the challenges of managing two separate cameras and make it a more streamlined and easy experience.” 

With Axon Body 4, BWC communication capabilities have reached a new high. The AB4 features real-time bi-directional communication and live-streaming when used with Axon Respond+, equipping wearers with the ability to communicate with command staff and specialists in real time. If an officer needs advice on de-escalating a situation involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis, for example, they can press the “Watch Me” button on their Axon Body 4, and a crisis intervention specialist can use the Respond app to provide advice on the fly.

"Having the ability to communicate two ways directly from the body camera, it's a better experience for that use case where you're communicating with someone."  - David Mesri

While those communication features are valuable, the bi-directional communications feature is a supplement to radio communications, not a replacement. It gives wearers a critical tool when they need it, but it doesn’t need to be in use constantly. “There are numerous situations where the radio is the appropriate tool,” Mesri says. “We're quite sensitive to that because officers see the radio as their lifeline.”

Even with the additional bells and whistles, Axon hasn’t lost sight of what matters: delivering a camera with high fidelity image quality. The Axon Body 4 is a camera first and foremost — one that’s built on the principles of reliability and simplicity. It’s built to capture the scenarios first responders encounter most frequently, optimizing for low light and high motion situations to ensure it never misses a moment. 

“Optimizing for low light and high motion is very challenging. That's been one of our big focuses: accurately representing what the officer saw,” Mesri tells us. “In consumer life, like with an iPhone, I don't care. I just want to take as good of a picture of my lunch as possible. But for law enforcement, it's quite important that the camera accurately represent what the officer saw and heard.”

Quality software, hardware, and services drive everything that Axon does. The Axon Body 4 has been painstakingly designed to integrate each of those elements seamlessly, resulting in a camera that puts image quality and interoperability at the forefront. Contact Axon today to learn more about Body 4 and how it’s redefining the limits of BWC.

Explore the history of Axon’s Body Worn Camera technology from our first concept to the latest full-fledged, real-time communication device.

Evolution of the Axon Body Camera

BLOG: Evolution of the Axon Body Camera

Axon’s BWC solutions have grown from simple cameras to full-fledged communications devices

Technology is accelerating faster than ever — including in public safety. How do we continue to innovate and advance technology, while keeping our communities healthy, free and safe? How do we ensure that exponential technological growth is a force for good?

The future of policing will be shaped by a complex interplay of technological, social and political factors with the ultimate goal of creating safer, more equitable communities. Axon strives to help public safety serve the communities that they are sworn to protect.

It’s why Axon’s mission is focused on the sanctity of life. We recently announced a collective moonshot goal to reduce gun-related deaths between police and the public by 50% in the next decade. We are counting on our peers, customers, communities and thought leaders to play a part in this critical goal, through more innovative technology, training and in building trust through greater insights and data to inform progress.

As part of that moonshot effort, we are putting our best minds toward identifying solutions that help keep first responders and communities out of immediate danger. Axon believes that robotic security will play an important role in extending visibility and communications, and increasing situational awareness to save lives. Robotic security includes unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or drones, as well as unmanned ground vehicles (UGV).


Axon has seen tremendous value in its current end-to-end drone solution, Axon Air, which includes drone software, hardware, and training, designed to increase operational efficiency and improve outcomes in some of the most challenging use cases in public safety. UAVs and UGVs are already playing an increasingly important role in search and rescue, natural disaster response, and crime and accident scene reconstruction. Robotics also include a new evolving category: Drone as a First Responder (DFR) programs. DFR provides unprecedented situational awareness by allowing public safety agencies to remotely operate drones from anywhere, resulting in faster response times and improved decision making. 

We estimate about 20% of US state and local law enforcement agencies have implemented drone programs so far, with more growing interest as we are witnessing firsthand the public benefits of these programs.

“Drones are a huge force multiplier for agencies. 90% of the time, they’ll reach a scene before an officer can. Drones can help us clear a lot of calls and reduce the number of officers needed per call. The future is bright for this technology in law enforcement.” 
- Chad Karlewicz, Commander of Special Operations, Renton Police Department

UAVs and UVGs deployed to dangerous scenes are granting public safety improved situational awareness and limiting the need for use of force. Drones are also supplementing officer capacity, providing additional support for sometimes strained and always-stretched staff members — allowing faster emergency response times. Chula Vista Police Department, which deployed the nation’s first drone as a first responder (DFR) program, was able to reduce average emergency response time to under two minutes. This is less than half the national average for ground-based units. The agency’s DFR mission count now exceeds 14,000 — about 25% of which were resolved without the need to deploy officer units.


Axon also utilizes drones as part of Axon Aid, our charitable disaster recovery program supporting first responders. At no cost to the public, Axon deploys an aid team who delivers critical supplies and helps first responders assess damage. We founded Axon Aid in the wake of Hurricane Florence (2018), where Axon-operated drones enabled first responders to survey a wide area and more quickly direct resources to locations in need. After a natural disaster, the ground can become impassable. UAVs and UVGs are increasingly supplementing search and rescue and helping to save lives.

Building a runway for safe and ethical flight


One of the ethical principles we start with is that everyone deserves to feel safe in their own community. Axon brings an ethics-first lens to all of our research & development practices, including in the area of robotic security. This means that we consider the problem that customers are seeking to solve and we research the best ways to solve it. We do this in parallel to developing training, innovating to prevent misuse and designing technology controls that enable transparency and oversight.

One of the biggest problems facing society today is specific to acts of extreme violence. We see it as a moral imperative to find more humane, effective, and more carefully controlled approaches to stopping these acts. When central command observes a highly dangerous event unfolding, what actions can be taken swiftly and safely without requiring the time and risk of waiting for heavily armed people with lethal weapons to deploy to the scene? We are exploring ways that technology can help answer that question.


We are also exploring how technology can help save lives in instances involving high-risk entry into buildings. Such incidents can tragically result in a loss of life to officers or members of the public. Drones enable visibility and communication that can start the de-escalation process prior to direct human interaction and could reduce the frequency of use-of-force incidents.

“Drones helped rule out several suspects when looking for a violent fugitive wanted for aggravated assault. This directly reduced the use of force as each instance represented one fewer citizen who would previously have been detained at gun point… Axon Air is the hub of our drone program – we view every other piece of software and hardware through the lens of how well it plays with Axon Air." 
- Ross Stinson, Sergeant, Dallas (TX) Police Department

We also believe we have a responsibility to step in and drive solutions so that wherever lethal weapons exist, Axon invests to ensure the public has access to less-lethal alternatives. We continue to expand our research and development pipeline with this in mind. On a longer time horizon, Axon sees opportunities to explore how robotics can expand to include less-lethal robotic payloads and operations. While this is still in early concept, we believe with ample research, ethical development and identifying the most amenable use cases, this capability can positively contribute to the future of public safety.

We stand by a continued commitment to innovate for greater, safer public safety and have a responsibility to advance this dialogue ethically and with our eyes always trained towards racial equity. Our entire product suite embodies ethical design. For example, Axon has already built accountability into Axon Air from the ground up and has set the standard for ethical practice when utilizing drone technology in public safety.


When we build for the future, we collaborate with our trusted constituencies. We work with governments, city councils, public safety, industry partners, legislators and policy makers, and community advocates to garner insight as we innovate. We also engage with our valued Ethics & Equity Advisory Council (EEAC), who routinely provides feedback throughout the product design process, helping us ensure that we are investing to build a future that we all want to live in. We also commit to investing in a less-lethal future, which means advancements in technology to help make policing smarter, more effective, and safer.

We will continue to listen and learn from valuable constituents in communities and across public safety to ensure our efforts meet a high foundational bar of ethical standards, which includes rigorous technological controls and stop gaps to avoid misuse.

The future of policing will include more robotic security and we will continue to innovate. We wholeheartedly support UAVs and UVGs as a force for good when deployed in an ethical manner, with optimal training and under the right circumstances.

We aren’t doing this alone and we are grateful for the diverse coalition of partners who provide feedback, ask the hard questions, and ensure that we are investing to build a future that we all want to live in.

We look forward to innovating toward the future of public safety in service of our moonshot in the US and our mission globally. Interested in learning more about the moonshot? Visit www.thisisourmoonshot.com


Technology is accelerating faster than ever — including in public safety. How do we continue to innovate and advance technology, while keeping our communities healthy, free and safe? How do we ensure that exponential technological growth is a force for good?

The Future of Public Safety Technology: Innovating through Robotic Security

BLOG: The Future of Public Safety Technology: Innovating through Robotic Security

Axon’s  position on robotic security

There’s no denying that we live in uncertain times. As Blake Lewkowitz, Director of Marketing at Axon Enterprise put it, “In the midst of a global pandemic, worldwide political strife and widening economic inequality, there’s a greater need for security than there ever has been.” This is especially true for retail businesses in the United States, 87.7% of which saw an increase in overall risk, while 51.7% saw a significant increase in violence as of 2022. While some retailers have responded to this demand by increasing the number of security guards at their stores, that measure alone doesn’t go far enough when it comes to protecting assets, facilities and — most importantly — people.

On top of that, retail security is evolving rapidly, and client expectations are changing, too. To meet these modern demands while keeping employees and customers safe, retailers must frequently evaluate their security needs and incorporate the latest technology. Here are some ways security technology makes retail stores safer, as well as best practices for incorporating new tech-driven strategies.

Traditionally, retail security has focused on the protection aspect of the job. According to Blake, while protection is still a core part of any strategy, “transparency and certainty” also play a role in the modern security model. Clients want security services that combine protection, risk management, de-escalation, transparency and efficiency, and those goals can’t be achieved with brute force alone.

This is why updated technology plays such an important role in retail security. Here are a few technological advances that offer advanced protection — and peace of mind — to retail staff and shoppers alike:

High-definition cameras: Modern body-worn cameras have features like low-light performance and reduced motion blur, so they’ll continue capturing footage in high-energy situations. It’s also a good idea to mount some cameras inside your retail locations to get a bird’s-eye view of day-to-day operations.

Non-lethal weapons: “Avoiding use of force is very critical, but it’s also really important that if you cannot avoid those kinds of situations to have a non-lethal de-escalation option,” Blake says. Axon had this philosophy in mind when creating the TASER two decades ago, and today’s energy weapon technology gives security officers more time and space to resolve conflicts with safer outcomes thanks to advances in accuracy and reliability.

Intuitive software: The right software can help tie all of your security efforts together. With it, you’ll have one platform on which to manage evidence, watch video playback, compare data and share with law enforcement as necessary. This minimizes the risk of making errors in the process while tensions are running high. 

Tech alone can’t protect your assets and your staff, so it’s important to implement these best practices to ensure you’re doing all you can.

Security training is not a one-and-done event, and those who treat it that way will find themselves vulnerable. Any time you upgrade any facet of your security suite, training should follow to ensure that everyone is up-to-date on the new features and knows the protocol for de-escalation and incident management. Many of these courses can be done either online or in-person, with virtual reality bridging the gap for more immersive simulations. Regular refreshers every four to six months can help reinforce these learnings.

De-escalation refers to reducing the intensity of incidents before they become lethal, with energy weapons like the TASER ideally being the last step of this strategy. Aside from keeping employees and customers safe, de-escalation has the added benefit of helping retailers avoid bad press; as Blake put it, many businesses are “one bad headline away from going out of business.”

Without evidence, retail crime incidents often derail into a “he said/she said” argument in which law enforcement can’t be sure who is telling the truth. For true transparency, retailers should invest in body-worn or mounted cameras (ideally a combination of both). This may sound like a pricey proposal, but the initial cost might actually save money in the long term by reducing theft and insurance claims. As an added bonus, the mere presence of cameras can serve as a deterrent to would-be criminals. 

The best retail security plan is one that’s well-balanced. Using a combination of security staff, cameras and software gives retailers the best chance of avoiding incidents, whether that means an unruly customer verbally abusing a cashier or organized criminals looking for expensive products to steal.

If it’s been too long since you last evaluated your retail security needs, Axon can help. We work with security teams to modernize workflows using cutting-edge technology. With training modules, incident management tools and a smarter approach to de-escalation, Axon has everything you need to modernize retail security. Ready to learn more? Get in touch.

Protecting retail with security technology

How to Incorporate Technology into Retail Security

BLOG: How to Incorporate Technology into Retail Security

With security tech evolving at a breakneck pace, retailers who fail to keep up may find themselves vulnerable

Footage from body-worn cameras helps ensure accountability for both law enforcement officials and members of the public. So much so that body-worn cameras are now a regular part of law enforcement procedures, with seven states requiring officers to include a camera as part of their uniform. The benefits of body-worn cameras extend beyond policing; private security teams can use body-worn cameras to protect their officers, deter crime (e.g. theft in retail spaces) and ensure that the truth is captured if an incident does take place. 

Benefits of body-worn cameras to your security officers

Body-worn cameras tend to alter behavior for the better — people interacting with officers are  less likely to use “vulgarity, threats, or other behaviors that may be criminal in nature,” says Bryan Warren, President of WarSec Security. According to Warren, a body-worn camera can work as a kind of peace-keeping device and de-escalation tool all on its own, deterring a potential troublemaker from persisting in any disruptive actions. This keeps both your security officers and the people and spaces they were assigned to protect safe. 

If an incident does take place, your security officers can feel reassured knowing they acted with integrity since their recorded actions can be examined by law enforcement as well as the public and can even be used as evidence in court if necessary.

Benefits of body-worn cameras to your operations

Aside from protecting individual officers, body-worn cameras can help your business manage incidents more effectively. Body-worn camera footage can help you understand and reconstruct what happened without having to rely solely on interviews. For retail businesses especially, the presence of security officers with body-worn cameras can aid in loss prevention, including employee theft. The mere presence of a camera, especially one that has livestreaming capabilities, is capable of deterring a crime, according to a former burglar. Having a security officer with a body-worn camera patrolling the premises can also make people less likely to engage in other disruptive activities, like intentionally damaging products or harassing other shoppers. 

Aside from being a crime deterrent and a helpful tool for managing incidents, the presence of body-worn camera footage has been linked to fewer complaints — one 2018 study found that every $1 spent on body-worn cameras equated to $4 saved in litigation. It seems that having irrefutable video evidence of what took place mitigates many frivolous complaints. 

Fewer complaints leads to less of your time and resources going to filing paperwork that leads nowhere. Generally speaking, using body-worn cameras can help you streamline administrative processes and make incidents easier to resolve since the presence of concrete evidence (via footage) will clearly show what took place.   

Body-worn cameras and incident response 

If one of your officers is involved in an incident, a body-worn camera with real-time response capabilities allows authorized personnel to livestream the incident as it is happening in the field and send help as needed. For example, leading body-worn camera platforms help ensure you never miss a moment by allowing leaders and support staff to watch a livestream remotely so they can assess the situation and offer guidance or backup as needed. Axon Body 3 works with Axon Respond using programmatic integrations and hardware sensors to send alerts to permissioned staff, so you’re in the know as soon as an incident takes place.

Benefits of body-worn cameras to the general public 

The truth benefits all, including anyone involved in security incidents and the public at large. Interacting with a security officer equipped with a body-worn camera, as well as seeing camera footage that clearly shows how events unfolded, can put people’s minds at ease and ultimately preserve a brand’s reputation following a dispute. 

Having readily-available footage can also assist law enforcement personnel with investigations and foster trust if a particular incident is publicized. By being able to show exactly what took place, you are confirming that you have nothing to hide, which bolsters your brand and your client’s brand. 

In addition to live-streaming, Axon Body 3 features reduced motion blur, four microphones and low-light performance to make sure your security team can get a complete picture of any incident in any conditions. Want to learn more about how Axon Body 3 can improve and protect your security operations? Contact our team.

How body-worn cameras protect your officers, the public and the truth

Advantages of Body-Worn Cameras for Security Professionals

BLOG: Advantages of Body-Worn Cameras for Security Professionals

Digital evidence storage is rapidly becoming an existential concern for law enforcement agencies across the country. 90% of criminal cases feature digital evidence, whether from body-worn cameras, smartphones, computers, CCTV systems or other devices — and the size of these digital files grows exponentially. That’s not to mention the untold volume of physical evidence in storage, rapidly in need of digitization to make retrieval and archival a more seamless process.

For years, police departments have relied on on-premises Digital Evidence Management Systems (DEMS) to store and secure these files. As the limitations of these systems fail to keep up with growing needs, agencies are turning to cloud storage. However, some departments are slow to adopt the cloud, concerned that this solution will create new security gaps or administrative issues that will generate roadblocks in successfully prosecuting cases.

To address these concerns, we spoke with Matthew Carlson, Digital Evidence Storage Product Manager at Axon. We discussed the challenges departments face with on-premises storage and how departments can increase the security and integrity of stored evidence with cloud-based solutions. Read on to learn more.

On its face, on-premises storage appears to provide the most significant degree of security and control over evidence intake. In a perfect world, this would be true. Departments with the time and resources to leverage a fully on-premises DEMS could manually oversee access to digital records, physical storage of hard drives and configuration of user access profiles.

The reality of managing DEMS on-premises quickly reveals an illusion of security and control, with hidden costs and security gaps that aren’t readily apparent. On-premises storage solutions are often subject to numerous challenges, including the following:

Siloed and inconsistent storage and transfer procedures: “Oftentimes different departments within an agency have their own budgets and systems,” Matthew explains. This leads to an inconsistent approach to storing and accessing evidence, especially when multiple departments need to access the same evidence. Inconsistencies can lead to mistakes, which leadw to compromised evidence that can ruin cases.

On-premises storage also makes transferring large amounts of data more complex, often creating the need to duplicate important files, which confuses the chain of custody. “I work with a number of agencies that are moving away from on-premises systems,” Matthew says. “Many shared how they would have to burn multiple copies of all of their evidence and drive them to the prosecutor’s office.” The risk of alteration, mishandling or other compromising factors grows with each physical copy, but is necessary without a reliable way to transfer files digitally.

Risk of loss, theft, or damage: Maintaining physical, on-site storage also increases the likelihood that evidence gets misplaced, stolen, or damaged beyond repair. This can happen in several ways. A physical drive isn’t correctly reshelved after use and goes missing. An unauthorized person gains access and removes critical evidence. Or a natural disaster can devastate an entire repository, like a recent three-alarm fire that tore through an NYPD warehouse and destroyed a decade’s worth of evidence.

Losing an entire warehouse of evidence is a massive blow, but even misplacing a single file can ruin an entire case. “Several police departments have told me that if they go to court and a single piece of evidence is missing, there’s an extremely good chance that the judge will throw the case out,” Matthew explains. Minimizing the risk of loss is paramount to ensuring investigations meet satisfactory conclusions, and on-premises storage makes this much more difficult.

Unreliable costs: On-premises storage perhaps sufficed when agencies only handled paper documents, audio files, and the occasional video file, but the advent of body-cam footage has made it difficult for those solutions to scale with the accompanying increase in digital storage demands. And as departments need to store greater volumes of digital information, those demands will only continue to increase.

“We've seen about a 500% increase of third-party evidence, which is actually growing even faster than body cameras in a lot of agencies,” Matthew describes. “There’s more CCTV footage, more cell phone extractions, and more evidence being shared by community members that needs to be stored.” 

Expanding on-premises storage to handle this new glut of digital information will be increasingly difficult to keep up with. Departments will need to procure larger hard drives, install additional hardware and ensure the entire network's security as it expands — and the costs for doing so will only continue to grow.

Many agencies have turned to cloud-based storage to surmount these challenges. Others may want to implement a cloud-based solution but are concerned with the potential security risks of transitioning and maintaining sensitive data like evidence within the cloud.

At a base level, cloud-based storage offers a high level of data security through implementation from the most prominent experts in the industry. “All of Axon’s storage and cloud technology is based on Microsoft Azure,” Matthew explains. “The security improvements Microsoft makes with their vast level of resources applies to Axon, which then applies to all of our customers.” A massive team of experts backs Azure’s state-of-the-art data security to protect against intrusions, theft, and other malicious attacks.

State, local, and federal agencies require further stringent security measures to protect sensitive data, such as evidence. Cloud-based solutions that store federal data must comply with FedRAMP, which enables federal agencies to rapidly adopt modern cloud technologies that are both secure and cost effective. Cloud service providers go through an extensive security accreditation process, and Axon FedCloud was recently authorized at FedRAMP High, allowing government agencies to store highly sensitive, non-classified information within Axon’s managed cloud infrastructure."

On top of the overall layer of security that cloud storage provides, agencies that transition to the cloud have access to constant, 24/7 monitoring and analytics tools to track system and data usage. 

Matthew explains the importance of security monitoring within the cloud: “If your on-premises network has a security incident, you’re largely on your own when mitigating the damage. With the cloud, we have the best and brightest employees working around the clock to keep everything secure and available to your department.”

Cloud-based storage solutions offer a level of security resources previously thought inaccessible by departments relying on on-premises storage. Learn more about how Axon Evidence can improve your department’s security profile while breaking down data silos in evidence management.

The benefits of storing evidence in the cloud

In addition to increased security and monitoring capabilities, departments that store evidence within the cloud often see additional improvements to management workflows, such as:

Enhanced chain of custody tracking: Cloud environments offer robust identity access management tools to enable departments to manage granular access to specific directories or individual files. Plus, departments gain full insight into who is accessing what and when, creating full accountability for evidence storage and retrieval. 

“The cloud tracks everything, from the first time a file is uploaded all the way through until it’s shared with the prosecution,” Matthew explains. “The ability to audit the chain of custody provides a lot of additional security and defensibility if it ever comes up in court.”

Less overhead: Cloud storage scales with use, and unlimited storage plans can simplify budgeting and provide a single, secure location where all data is managed.  They also don’t need to invest in expensive server racks or keep track of physical hard drives — all of the data is managed in the cloud.

How transitioning from on-premises digital evidence management to cloud storage improves security, chain of custody tracking and more

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