This morning, the company announced it would be renamed after its line of police-worn body cameras, Axon, and that it would offer any interested law enforcement agency a one-year trial of its equipment.
The offer is meant to make it easier for police departments to start outfitting their officers with body cameras, which many hope could cut down on police brutality by holding officers accountable while also protecting officers from inaccurate complaints.
Of course, for Axon, it’s also just about selling cameras and the tech required to run them.
While Axon is pitching this offer as “free body cameras for every police officer in the US,” what it’s really offering is a one-year trial.
Today’s announcement essentially expands that offer across the country as a way to sell more departments on Axon’s cameras.
These are things police departments will have to pay Axon for year after year to maintain service.
And that makes it pretty clear why Axon wants to get cameras into their hands to try out.