The approval came just six days after details of the contract were made public.
During an hourslong public comment period, opponents said the process was rushed, and limited community engagement. Outgoing Mayor Hillary Schieve, who voted against the contract, agreed.
“We missed a great opportunity to highlight the amazing work that the Reno Police Department does and build trust with the public,” she said. “That’s what really makes me sad, is we pitted the police department with our public.”
The abrupt firing of former police chief Kathryn Nance and two of her command staff in March rattled the community’s faith in the department, especially since no explanation has yet been given.
City leaders brought in the new chief, Corey Solferino, to stabilize the department and help restore its image. In an interview after the vote, he said people often don’t show up for community engagement events, but added he’s looking for new ways to connect with the public.
“At the end of the day, I wear it, right? If misuse happens, if something happens, if I don’t hold up my end of the bargain, then I’m putting my name, my reputation, our department, our community at risk. And I don’t want to do that,” he said.
The new contract with Axon streamlines existing service agreements for equipment like bodyworn cameras and Tasers, while adding drones, AI, and up to 50 automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) on public roads. That’s in addition to more than 100 such devices mounted in patrol cars.
Earlier this month, the city announced it was ending its contract with Flock Safety. Then, following a pattern that’s played out in other communities, officials announced the Axon deal.
Flock has seen growing bipartisan backlash, partially due to a series of cases in which officers have abused the cameras to stalk and harass romantic partners, ex-spouses, or random strangers.
ALPRs are designed to take pictures of every passing car, then upload their license plate numbers to a database. While Flock’s cameras capture still images, the Axon devices also offer livestreamed video.
Solferino called it a “generational technology,” while explaining his department would impose administrative penalties for any misuse. He also pointed to a new policy governing how officers are allowed to use new surveillance tools.
Reno local Samuel Sheridan acknowledged the guardrails from Solferino, but still has concerns about officer abuses.
“What happens when these guardrails are averted by someone with malintentions [sic]? The answer is, we don’t really know,” he said.
Council members added some revisions to the policy, like cutting the number of days the city keeps ALPR data to 15. It also includes greater control over data sharing with outside agencies. The contract with Flock gave access to departments around the country by default. In some cases, that included federal law enforcement.
But opponents said those changes don’t go far enough, and many argued the technology violates Fourth Amendment protections against warrantless surveillance.
Ward 4 Council Member Meghan Ebert joined Schieve in voting against the contract, citing her discomfort with ongoing surveillance of the community.
The contract will take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
