Storm Lake approves Axon camera upgrade, adds translation and AI tools
On December 4, 2025 the Storm Lake City Council unanimously approved a five year contract to replace the department's Digital Ally system with Axon body and in car cameras, adding real time translation, faster reporting tools, and stronger evidence management. The change promises operational improvements for officers and targeted benefits for a multilingual community, while raising questions about costs, data storage, and privacy for residents.
Storm Lake will equip police officers with Axon Body 4 cameras and in car Fleet systems after the city council approved a five year contract on December 4, 2025. The upgrade replaces the department's Digital Ally system that has been in use since 2016 and brings a suite of artificial intelligence tools meant to speed reporting and improve evidence handling.
Police Chief Chris Cole told the council the move is both fiscally responsible and necessary. The contract covers hardware, warranties, cloud storage, AI services, and training. Estimated costs are $105,749 in the first year and about $100,749 in subsequent years, which works out to roughly $420 per officer per month. The package includes automatic transcription, advanced redaction, real time language translation, automatic license plate recognition, and in car cameras that automatically sync with body cameras. Pre event recording will capture seconds of footage before an officer activates a device, and a feature called Draft One will automatically generate interview transcripts and searchable reports. The system can also live stream an officer's camera during emergencies and translate phone calls placed on speaker.
Cole emphasized translation as a critical capability in Storm Lake, where 36 languages are spoken. During the council meeting officers demonstrated a scenario where the cameras translated Spanish into English during a 911 call. For residents who speak languages other than English, city leaders say the tools may improve communication during urgent incidents and reduce delays in response.
The upgrade carries local implications beyond faster reports and body camera footage. The expanded use of AI and cloud storage will require oversight for data retention, access, and privacy, and will touch state and federal legal frameworks governing evidence and surveillance. The recurring annual cost will also factor into departmental budgets and priorities over the five year term.
As the new systems are rolled out, Storm Lake will need to balance technological gains with clear policies on storage, redaction, and community access to ensure the tools strengthen both public safety and public trust.
