One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Taser won first batch of LAPD's body cam business, without usual rules
Officer Guillermo Espinoza pushes a button to turn his lapel camera on and off. The cameras don't roll for the entire shift, only when an officer presses record.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)
Listen
0:55
Taser won first batch of LAPD's body cam business, without usual rules
A spokeswoman for L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said Monday that it'll cost $7 million a year to equip LAPD officers with body cameras. In November, the contract for the first batch of cameras went to Taser International – but the deal avoided city bidding rules.
Because Police Commission President Steve Soboroff raised $1.5 million from private donations to pay for the first 860 cameras, the purchase was not subject to city rules, including competitive bidding.
Soboroff said raising money through the privately controlled Los Angeles Police Foundation allowed the department to avoid time-consuming city rules, including going to the City Council to ask for money.
“Cities struggling with deficits practically have to hold bake sales,” said UCLA Professor of Public Policy Mark Kleiman. That means private donors are playing a bigger role in what cities decide to do.
“We should be concerned about the transfer of political power from voters to donors,” Kleiman told KPCC. “But if I were Chief Charlie Beck and I wanted body cams, and Steve Soboroff could raise the money for it, I’d certainly grab the money.”
The LAPD chose Taser after it decided it had the best camera and video management system, said Sgt. Daniel Gomez in the department’s Information Technology Bureau. Gomez was involved in the selection process.
“We were very comfortable recommending Taser to the chief and police commission,” he said.
Sponsored message
Gomez said Taser’s Axon Body cameras have a 30-second, pre-event, buffer video, so it captures events 30 seconds before an officer activates the system.
The runner-up to Taser was Coban Technologies, which provides in-car cameras for the LAPD. A company spokesman said he felt the selection process had been fair.
“As far as the LAPD taking the systems through a rigorous process of evaluation, they did that very well,” said Coban spokesman David Hinojsa.
Now that Mayor Eric Garcetti has committed public money to buy 6,000 more cameras, the next contract will be subject to bidding rules.
But with its foot now in the door, even the competition says Taser is in a good position to win it all. Hinojsa conceded it's likely Taser will now get the contract for all LAPD body cameras.
Taser also manufactures 90 percent of police stun guns in the country.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
