Axon and its Ethics Board will work with public safety thought leaders and diverse community leaders to develop a model framework for law enforcement agencies to responsibly and ethically deploy this technology consistent with the Ethics Board's guidance, which was set forth in their report published today.

"ALPR is an important tool for keeping communities safe as it can help apprehend criminals, find missing children, and recover stolen vehicles," says Axon CEO and founder, Rick Smith. "We do, however, recognize that there are legitimate concerns about privacy protections, constitutionality of search and data security issues that need to be addressed. We embrace that we have an ethical obligation to develop this technology thoughtfully and bring new privacy safeguards to the industry. While building ALPR, we'll be addressing items such as data retention and data ownership, creating an ethical framework to help prevent misuse of the technology."

Axon is leveraging the power of AI to significantly reduce the cost of ALPR systems, making it affordable for every patrol. Axon is simultaneously addressing industry short-comings to improve data security, transparency and privacy as declining costs enable more widespread use of the technology. Axon plans to work collaboratively with communities to better understand and implement controls such as maximum retention periods and transparency tools.

One recommendation in the Ethics Board's report calls for agency ownership and control over the captured license plate data, declaring that data should not be sold for commercial purposes. For years, Axon has protected digital evidence by maintaining a secure cloud-based system that allows agencies to control data, ensuring use only for public safety purposes. Consistent with the Ethics Board's recommendations, Axon will maintain that same high level of security and privacy standards with ALPR data.

"We have not, and will not ever sell public safety data. We believe the data is owned by public safety agencies and the communities they serve, and should not be resold to private entities whose interests may not be aligned with the public good," concluded Smith.

"The unregulated use of ALPRs has exposed millions of people subject to surveillance by law enforcement, and the danger to our basic civil rights is only increasing as the technology is becoming more common," says Ethics Board member Barry Friedman, founder of the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law and the Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law at New York University. "If government is going to continue to abdicate its responsibility to regulate this technology appropriately, and we hope it doesn't, it is incumbent on companies like Axon to ensure that ALPRs serve the communities who are subject to ALPR usage. This includes guardrails to ensure their use does not compromise civil liberties or worsen existing racial and socioeconomic disparities in the criminal justice system."

Axon Fleet 3 will use AI for ALPR to help reduce officer distraction. For example, when searching for stolen vehicles or criminals today, patrol officers manually look up vehicle license plates by typing into their computers. ALPR helps eliminate the need for typing while driving. Today, most agencies deploy ALPR via specialized vehicle units with plate recognition systems that cost tens of thousands of dollars in only a portion of the vehicle fleet. Axon Fleet 3 will integrate ALPR capability in the dashboard camera of every patrol vehicle, allowing agencies to deploy more coverage at a lower cost. Axon Fleet 3 will also enable Axon Aware real-time telemetry and video streaming capabilities and will be upgradeable to 5G to leverage low-latency connectivity for enhanced real-time services and direct video offload to the cloud.

Axon will be previewing Axon Fleet 3 at the 126th annual International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference, this week in Chicago at Axon's booth number 2211. There, Axon will be demonstrating enhanced 5G real-time services.

Axon is a global network of devices, apps, training and people that helps public safety personnel become smarter and safer. With a mission of protecting life, our technologies give customers the confidence, focus and time they need to protect their communities. Our products impact every aspect of a public safety officer's day-to-day experience.

We work hard for those who put themselves in harm's way for all of us. To date, there are more than 397,800 software seats booked on the Axon network around the world and more than 223,000 lives have been saved with the Axon network of devices, apps, training and people. Learn more at www.axon.com or by calling (800) 978-2737.

Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc. and Twitter is a trademark of Twitter, Inc.

Axon, Axon Fleet, Axon Records, Axon Aware, Axon Detect and the Delta Logo are trademarks of Axon Enterprise, Inc., some of which are registered in the US and other countries. For more information, visit www.axon.com/legal. All rights reserved.

Axon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/axon_us

Axon on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Axon.ProtectLife/

Please visit http://investor.axon.com, https://www.axon.com/press, www.twitter.com/axon_us and  https://www.facebook.com/Axon.ProtectLife/ where Axon discloses information about the company, its financial information and its business.

CONTACT:
Carley Partridge
PR and Communications Manager
Press@axon.com

 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axon-announces-ai-powered-in-car-license-plate-reader-system-built-with-ethical-design-and-privacy-centric-framework-300943640.html

Axon Announces AI-Powered In-Car License Plate Reader System Built With Ethical Design and Privacy-Centric Framework

Axon Fleet 3 AI-Powered License Plate Reader System

ARTICLE: Axon Anncounces AI-Powered In-Car License Plate Reader System

USFS now deploying body cameras and TASER weapons on the first ever FedRamp-authorized digital evidence management system, Axon Evidence

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Axon (Nasdaq: AAXN), the global leader in connected law enforcement technologies, today announced that the United States Forest Service (USFS) will outfit officers and agents across its law enforcement and investigative agency with Axon Body 2 cameras backed by the digital evidence management system, Axon Evidence (Evidence.com). The USFS has been a TASER Conducted Energy Weapon customer since 2008 and began an agency-wide deployment of TASER X26Ps in 2018. USFS Law Enforcement and Investigations is the first federal law enforcement agency to adopt Axon's full less-lethal ecosystem. This order was received in the third quarter of 2019 and will deploy in multiple phases.

In addition to the Axon Body 2 cameras, the USFS also ordered Axon Signal Performance Power Magazine (SPPM), a CEW battery that alerts cameras on the Axon network to begin recording when the safety is in the "armed" position. The SPPM will be incorporated into all TASER X26P CEWs deployed across the agency.

"We are thrilled to partner with the Forest Service, the first federal agency to deploy Axon's ecosystem of life saving technologies across their law enforcement enterprise," says Richard Coleman, Axon's VP and GM, Federal. "The Forest Service's mission to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the 193 million acres of our nation's forests and grasslands is uniquely critical and important and it's a mission we at Axon are proud to support."

USFS adoption of the Axon network represents an important milestone in Axon's entry into the federal civilian law enforcement market, which has more than 120,000 officers who are authorized to make arrests and carry firearms, according to the US Justice Dept.

Axon is a global network of devices, apps, training and people that helps law enforcement and public safety personnel become smarter and safer. With a mission of protecting life, our technologies give customers the confidence, focus and time they need to protect their communities. Our products impact every aspect of a public safety officer's day-to-day experience.

We work hard for those who put themselves in harm's way for all of us. To date, there are more than 397,800 software seats booked on the Axon network around the world and more than 220,000 lives have been saved with the Axon network of devices, apps, training and people. Learn more at www.axon.com or by calling (800) 978-2737.

Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc. and Twitter is a trademark of Twitter, Inc.

Axon, Axon Body 2, Axon Evidence, Axon Signal, X26P and the Delta Logo are trademarks of Axon Enterprise, Inc., some of which are registered in the US and other countries. For more information, visit www.axon.com/legal. All rights reserved.

Axon on Twitter: https://twitter.com/axon_federal

Axon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Axon.ProtectLife/

Carley Partridge
PR and Communications Manager
Press@axon.com

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/united-states-forest-service-is-first-federal-law-enforcement-agency-to-fully-adopt-the-axon-ecosystem-with-taser-weapons-body-cameras-and-axon-evidence-300926686.html

United States Forest Service is First Federal Law Enforcement Agency to Fully Adopt the Axon Ecosystem with TASER Weapons, Body Cameras and Axon Evidence

US Forest Service Adopts Axon Ecosystem

ARTICLE: Us Forest Service To Adopt TASER Weapons, Body Cameras and Axon Evidence

Oxnard, San Leandro and Tracy police departments in California first to receive next generation camera

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Axon (Nasdaq: AAXN), the global leader in connected public safety technologies, today announced that the Axon Body 3 camera is now shipping. California police departments Oxnard, San Leandro and Tracy are the first to begin receiving shipments of this next generation body-worn camera with LTE connectivity. These orders were received in the second and third quarters of 2019 and are shipping now in phased deployments. Additional agencies will begin receiving shipments by the end of the month. To learn more, visit: https://www.axon.com/body-3.

"We are excited to receive our new Axon body cameras," says San Leandro Police Chief Jeff Tudor. "The new technology in the Axon Body 3 camera will allow our officers to better utilize this critical tool and improve our service to the community."

"We couldn't be more proud of the first connected camera for public safety – the industry's best quality of evidence and the addition of real-time features will make officers and communities safer than ever," says Axon CEO and founder, Rick Smith. "We're grateful to all of our partners from law enforcement, union and civil rights groups, and technology providers who helped make this the game-changing device it is."

Order details for these agencies include:

Oxnard Police Department, CA: 200 Axon Body 3 cameras

San Leandro Police Department, CA: 110 Axon Body 3 cameras on the Officer Safety Plan 7+

Tracy Police Department, CA: 99 Axon Body 3 cameras on the Officer Safety Plan 7+

New features include real-time functionality such as alerts, live maps and live streaming. Upcoming features for this camera include real-time critical evidence offloading from the field, "Find my officer" locator functionality, a mobile experience and more. Axon Body 3 is available to purchase now for agencies in the US. To learn more visit www.axon.com/body3.

Facebook is a trademark of Facebook, Inc. and Twitter is a trademark of Twitter, Inc. Axon, Axon Body 3 and the Delta Logo are trademarks of Axon Enterprise, Inc., some of which are registered in the US and other countries. For more information, visit www.axon.com/legal. All rights reserved.

Please visit http://investor.axon.com, https://www.axon.com/press, www.twitter.com/axon_us and https://www.facebook.com/Axon.ProtectLife/ where Axon discloses information about the company, its financial information and its business.

Carley Partridge
Axon PR and Communications Manager
Press@Axon.com

 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/axon-now-shipping-axon-body-3-first-connected-camera-with-real-time-situational-awareness-300922897.html

Axon Now Shipping Axon Body 3; First Connected Camera with Real-time Situational Awareness

Axon's first shipment of Axon Body 3

ARTICLE: Axon Shipping Axon Body 3; First Connected Camera with Real-time Situational Awareness

Our latest body camera, Axon Body 3, is launching soon. As we get geared up for it to hit the streets, we wanted to share some stories from our path to launch. Today's post covers the path to a connected camera and our new Axon Aware real-time technology.

It’s 1993. Grunge rock is in its heyday, Doc Martens are all the rage, and Dave MacDonald is working at Microsoft, trying to convince higher-ups that this thing called the internet will be important. While the debate presses on, he quietly gets permission to purchase a few servers, and then he and a fellow engineer snag a T1 Internet connection and create the first Microsoft website, by default becoming the company’s first webmasters. Two years later, Windows 95 launches, connecting millions to the internet, and the company never looked back.

So it’s safe to say that Dave, who is now Axon’s Senior Director of Apps and Device Software, is comfortable “skating to where the puck will be.” That mindset was especially important in early 2018 as he and his team began outlining the vision for a connected camera. See, as prevalent as body-worn cameras have become in law enforcement today, nearly all of their value is derived “later” - after an incident, when the video is uploaded and reviewed by a host of potential stakeholders. That delay between when a video is recorded and reviewed creates limitations on its use, relegating body camera footage to primarily evidentiary purposes. Dave heard a recurring theme on a series of customer visits: the need for real-time access to evidence and officer safety data.

So Dave and the Axon team got to work building the case for a camera that could be useful “Now.” They worked through a number of possible features and “what if’s”, like:

What if users could better understand a camera’s current state and location? Things like whether a recording began manually or was wirelessly activated, if the unit is functioning properly, how much evidence is on it and how much power is left.

What if the camera could detect and send weapon-based alerts, like if an officer draws or fires a gun or deploys a TASER weapon?

What if command staff could view a camera livestream and provide better assistance to the officer wearing it?

What if leadership or authorized users could access evidence while it’s still on a camera in the field, so that they can quickly understand what has unfolded in a critical event?

What if the camera could integrate in real-time with CAD or Records systems so that information is always current, or could leverage live audio transcription to speed up reporting?

None of these were simple ideas. The team knew that building a connected camera would be more challenging and expensive. And on top of that, despite the feedback from customers that they wanted more real-time information, it would also represent a new product category, without a predictable adoption curve. But thankfully, just as Dave helped usher in the internet, Axon has some experience creating new categories. People said no one would ever carry a TASER device, or wear a body camera, or use cloud computing. And just like in those instances, we have conviction about connected cameras. We feel strongly that our real-time technology, called Axon Aware, will have a huge impact on officers and communities around the world.

In 2019 - the era of the smartphone and animated emojis - livestreaming body camera footage from an interactive map is still an amazing thing to behold, even to people like Dave MacDonald. Axon Aware is a new, evolving technology, delivering connected capabilities today, and creating a vision for tomorrow. As Aware makes its way into the hands of our customers, we know they will continue to push us, and real-time data, into the future.

*Doc Martens is a trademark of "Dr. Martens" International Trading GmbH. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Dave’s partner in crime in setting up Microsoft’s first website.

Livestream view from the streets of Seattle.

Another livestream view of Dave’s commute.

This Axon Body 3 blog post covers the path to a connected camera and our new Axon Aware real-time technology.

Smart Weapons

Cameras

Software

Accelerate / 2020

Overview

Axon Body 3

Accelerate / 2020

News

Technology

Axon Announces AI-Powered In-Car License Plate Reader System Built With Ethical Design and Privacy-Centric Framework

United States Forest Service is First Federal Law Enforcement Agency to Fully Adopt the Axon Ecosystem with TASER Weapons, Body Cameras and Axon Evidence

Axon Now Shipping Axon Body 3; First Connected Camera with Real-time Situational Awareness

The Making of Axon Body 3: Connected Camera