On Tuesday night, the Antioch City Council voted against a contract that would upgrade Antioch Police Department tasers that utilized technology to ensure more transparency when deployed.
Although the city council has cited it wants to increase police transparency, even after spending a month on police reform topics, the council voted down a contract with Axon Enterprises to replace and upgrade its tasers for police officers.
According to the agenda item, the city would spend $407,118.30 over a five-year-period to upgrade the tasers. The current tasers, X26P, has been in use since 2008 and is now limited in data it captures compared to newer models with newer technology—including how long taser was used, time it was used. Blue Tooth technology also triggers turning on a body camera when used. It also allows for more data to be utilized to ensure greater transparency.
During public comments, 8 speakers came out against the item and urged the council to vote it down. They urged the city to spend the money elsewhere.
Councilmember Mike Barbanica spoke in favor of upgrading tasers for the police department.
“The tasers are here now anyway and officers are carrying them now like most agencies As a city we just invested a substantial amount of money to outfit every police officer with a body cam and a dash cam,” stated Barbanica. “We did that because we are looking for accountability and to be very open with the public. If we don’t make this move, even though we have the body cams coming, we will put officers out on the street that can utilize their current equipment but it wont work with what we are purchasing and therefor we may lose that open book – the current tasers could be used and it would not guarantee the body cameras are activated where new technology who pulls a trigger multiple times we will be able to know, we will be able to know how long it was deployed, but most of all we are assured of video footage of how and why it was used.”
Barbanica argued it would showcase if an officer was misusing the taser deployment or not through video and body camera footage.
“Tasers give an option that doesn’t go to lethal force or going towards using a baton on somebody,” stated Barbanica. “It’s a lower grade of force. But the biggest thing is the accountability. We just came off a month of police reform and showing accountability and showing the public this will help ensure this and take it to the next level.”
Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock asked about what they do now with the older tasers.
According to Joseph Vigil of Axon Enterprise, he explained right now they are replacing parts but as time goes on, the tasers Antioch is using are being sunset because of technology. They also do not download the information and talk to the newer technology. Antioch would have to order new tasers to replace the old one.
Barbanica made a motion to approve the 5-year contract with Axon to upgrade tasers. Ogorchock seconded.
With no discussion or commentary, the motion failed in a 2-3 vote with Mayor Lamar Thorpe, Tamisha Torres-Walker and Monica Wilson all voting no.
In March, the city council approved $2.8 million added to the budget over five years for body cameras and dash cameras could begin as early as August 2021.
35 comments
No surprise here
How is Takisha Walker allowed to do anything with Her uneducated language and logic. Time to drain the swamp in Antioch and make it great again!
How does Walker have a say in this! FOUL mouthed lefty She is. Antioch residents need to grow some and kick these traitors out of the City Council!
How are people like the lady who admitted she doesn’t live in Antioch but said we should spend the money elsewhere, or the others from out of the city who supported Walker, even allowed to comment during our public comments?
How can you vote and not give a reason for your vote to the citizen…you know the people that pay your salary and fund this city? I’m sorry but it seems they have forgotten who they work for….
I totally agree about getting this scum off a counsel woman out of office. The only way to do that is to get the citizens of Antioch to recall her and Thorpe even Wilson cause you don’t hear anything good about any of these people. We the citizens of Antioch are the only ones that can get them out so we can have a better counsel and mayor. If there isn’t a TV camera in front of these three you won’t see them at all for anything. Well let’s get the spot light on them with a major recall cause they’re putting Antioch into a shit hole.
She was voted in by a majority of voters in a democratic election.
No, MICHAEL KITTERMAN! You are WRONG! Tamisha Torres-Walker should not have run for the city council seat! She is a felon who served time for ARSON! While some felons can run for public office, those who did for ARSON cannot run EVEN if their record was EXPUNGED! You don’t seem to get that! She did not reveal her background UNTIL someone investigated her and brought it to public awareness. She should have been removed immediately after the election.
Traitors? Definitely not traitors to the people or the American way. I think the entire board is the best we have had in the 50 years that I’ve been paying attention. There is a diverse set of philosophies, and the people are sufficiently represented. Not to mention the wonderful forward progress already made since they were voted in. The new government for the City of Antioch is bringing this town up to date to the rest of the world and out of the dark ages.
What Tamisha Walker votes on is irrelevant. She is not a council member LEGALLY! Therefore, to reiterate, HER VOTE DOESN’T COUNT!
If someone was not legally elected, then using a RECALL system is moot. Only those who are legally elected can be recalled. Tamisha was not legally elected. She should be simply booted out! To get rid of Thorpe and Wilson, a recall can be used.
How about the “Good/Great Citizen’s of Antioch” start a go-fund me account to cover the cost of the 5 year contract? That way “We the People” own it. Not the city or council and only “We the people” can say anything about that contract. “We the People” want transparency and “We the people” DESERVE transparency.
Who’s with me?
@ECT, start the motion for us and sit back and watch it grow.
Lamar, Walker and Wilson have no comment? That’s reason enough for them to all be recalled. They do not want transparency because if any camera will show the officers will most likely be in the right.
Have these three totally lost their senses? With outdated Tasers, what the police will have to do is shoot the “alleged” the criminals instead just disabling them! I cannot believe anyone would be so totally stupid to reject the state-of-the-art equipment. This is very bad and it’s serious! This is just as dumb as ordering the PD to refuse FREE decomissioned military equipment to use for their own safety. Totally mind-boggling!
What total unmitigated BULL SHIT! These Three Stooges are destroying our city! They have to be gotten rid of. A once nice town is now the laughing stock of the county! I’m embarrassed to admit I live here when people ask and when I tell them, they roll their eyes and offer condolences! We don’t deserve this! We have to stop this! Progress? You’re joking! I like sarcasm in small doses. Two of them should be recalled and the third just kicked out as she doesn’t belong on that council.
So? Eight idiots think they speak for the 111,000 plus of us? This is total insanity! Our police can’t have the latest equipment because some morons who can’t find their ass with both hands, were protesting. I can’t bloody believe this! These people have to go! They are ruining this city! Where in hell did they come from? Who invited them?
I am totally disgusted with this mangy bunch and what they are doing to this city!
Nope. No tasers in Antioch. No sir eeeeee. We need basketball. And cocoa. Lots and lots of cocoa. And don’t foorget the soft blankies. Gotta have the soft blankies to wrap around the tender shoulders of those poor suspects….uh….innocents
Look at it this way: Some guy goes beserk and tries to attack a family member, a relative or some innocent person. The police are called and attempt to TASE him or her with their outdated Tasers. The thing misfires and the culprit keeps advancing. So, what do the cops do? THE SHOOT HIM DEAD! Then you have all these bleeding hearts come out of nowhere and accused the police of brutality and “overacting.”
With so much crime in Antioch, the last thing we need is to have outdated equipment to deal with it. It’s the Chief of Police —- and not some street people calling themselves the “City Council” —– who should make the decision about replacement of much needed equipment to be used to maintain public safety. The Chief of Police should NOT answer to a bunch of ignorant, untrained people who don’t know their ass from a hole in the- ground.
To Michael Kitterman: Actually, our city is being led INTO the dark ages, instead of out of them. By the way, I’m sorry your are suffering from DEMENTIA! There are some meds which help stem it up to a point. They are being administered to Joe Biden and each dose can last up to 90 minutes of some clear thinking and verbal delivery. After that, the victim of this dreaded disease reverts back to displaying serious cognitive problems. It is called “Namenda” .. and maybe it could help you in some way. Good luck!
Let’s look at this from another viewpoint. If the old tasers don’t work properly and the police have to take other methods to stop attackers, then a lot of time, money and headaches can be saved by having the police eliminate the subject altogether. Maybe that’s what the three council members wanted all along.
That’s right, Grace! It will happen that way. We are aware of who are the predominant lawbreakers in this town, so more and more blacks will be shot. They can then thank the three cumpadres for their decision to keep the PD from getting equipment which works. Let’s see how that works out.
What in hell is wrong with these three? What do they use for brain? If they have any, that is.
This was an extremely poor decision. It’s even difficult to rationalize it. This will hurt our city a lot.
My head is still reeling! I guess those so-called “city council” people want to see more people killed because this will happen when the tasers aren’t working properly. Just sit back and watch!
Could be the City Council’s approach to population control, Connie.
Antioch PD need an upgrade on tasers and the city also needs a SHOTSPOTTER badly!
This just fries me! Our city is going down the tubes thanks to these three clowns! In the few short months, they’ve done more damage than any other previous bunch. They have to be removed!
It’s actually two against two because the Walker woman has no standing in this city council. The city manager and the city attorney must bar her from the group.
To save Antioch, first we must get rid of the THREE STOOGES on the city council, which includes this “mayor.” Of these three, two are semi-morons and the third one is a full moron and you KNOW who I mean. No explanation needed.
You said it, SENECA! I couldn’t have said it better. Rejecting this latest request by the APD puts all of us in danger. If the present equipment fails, innocent people will suffer at the hands of an unstoppable criminal.
The more think about, the more I like GR8SCOT’s idea of raising the money for the equipment for the APD, using the “We The People” approach. Considering how many people have expressed their total disgust with the decisions made by this city council, I can easy that $500,000 could be raised and presented to the police and this city council would have nothing to say about it. It would a gift from “We The People” and one should always accept a gift gracefully.
I like the idea of setting up a “GoFundMe” to raise money to upgrade the tasers. Maybe raise enough money to help get these jokers off the City Council and save whatever is left of the city.
If these three jerks reject funding the very necessary upgrades, which is a public safety issue… then we should REJECT them!
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