OCEANSIDE — The City Council has approved a nearly $3.2 million contract to upgrade the police department’s body-worn and in-car camera systems, expand automatic license plate recognition capabilities, and integrate video data into a centralized management platform.
The new equipment, approved on June 4, will replace the city’s current five-year agreement with Axon for body-worn cameras, which is set to expire on July 1. The new contract includes 240 new cameras, an evidence tagging license, storage, device connectivity, and docking stations.
Assistant Police Chief John McKean said that while body-worn cameras are not mandated by law, they are widely considered “industry standards” and serve as “a vital tool in helping to de-escalate and reduce complaints” against officers.
The cameras record a range of interactions, including public encounters, criminal investigations, interviews, and general police activity.
Councilmember Jimmy Figueroa emphasized the importance of maintaining body-worn cameras, drawing on his experience as a former member of the Police and Fire Commission’s oversight committee.
“We go straight to the body worn cameras whenever there is a complaint from the public,” Figueroa said. “They have proven to be an immense tool for oversight and accountability.”
The department’s existing contract for Fleet 3 in-car cameras will also be extended under the new agreement, pushing service through 2030. Currently, nearly 70 Oceanside police vehicles are outfitted with these cameras, which are linked to mobile computer terminals via cellular data.
Originally purchased with a Department of Justice grant in 2023, the Fleet 3 system will now be supported for an additional five years.
All video footage will be consolidated through Axon’s Fusus platform, which combines data from body-worn cameras, drones, fleet cameras, tasers and other devices into a single system. According to police officials, the integration will enhance a Real Time Crime Center that is currently under development.
The department will also incorporate Axon’s automatic license plate reader software into existing in-car cameras, allowing them to function as plate readers.
Data collected from all devices will be stored through Axon’s cloud-based platform, Evidence.com, providing streamlined access for the Oceanside Police Department, the City Attorney’s Office, and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.
City officials said the $3.2 million contract is included in the 2025-2026 fiscal year operating budget, which was approved at the same June 4 council meeting.
