The Reno City Council has approved an expansion of its existing contract with technology company Axon, adding surveillance technology and artificial intelligence tools for law enforcement.
The motion passed 5-2 Wednesday, following the city's announcement that it plans to end its contract with Flock Safety.
Councilmember Meghan Ebert and Mayor Hillary Schieve voted against the expansion.
The decision followed hours of public comment. Some residents raised concerns about privacy and the environmental impact of technology powered by artificial intelligence.
Reno Police Chief Corey Solferino defended the tools, saying they can help investigators when used with proper safeguards. He emphasized that the technology does not establish probable cause and said the department would not allow it to be misused.
The council approved the expansion with several conditions:
Data retention: Data collected using Axon technology must be deleted after 15 days if it is not part of an active, lawful investigation.
Data sharing: The city will maintain control of the data. Sharing with outside agencies will require prior approval.
Compliance audits: Reno Police will conduct audits at least quarterly, reviewing access logs, data retention, outside agency sharing, potential misuse and compliance with department policies.
Quarterly reports: Chief Solferino will report to the City Council every three months on the technology's effectiveness, the number of searches conducted, outside agency requests, data sharing, audit findings, policy violations and corrective actions.
Future expansions: Any new surveillance technology or expansion beyond the current agreement will require City Council approval.
Contract termination: The city must provide at least 30 days' written notice to terminate the contract, with or without cause.
