SEATTLE, April 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- TASER International (NASDAQ: TASR) today announced the purchase of 300 AXON Flex body cameras and a five-year subscription on the EVIDENCE.com Officer Safety Plan by the Mobile Police Department. This order was received in and is expected to ship in the second quarter of 2015. TASER further announced its new Standard Issue Grant Program that offers up to $400 per officer for police agencies who are making TASER Smart Weapons and/or AXON body cameras standard issue for all officers within their department.

"We strongly believe that every police officer should have access to a body-worn camera and the safest option available when use of force is necessary in the field," says Rick Smith CEO and founder of TASER. "We're excited to offer the Standard Issue Grant Program to our agency partners who are committed to increasing transparency and making their communities safer with access to these tools as standard issue equipment for all officers."  

TASER has budgeted $40 million to get 100,000 patrol officers and all new officers graduating law enforcement academy signed up for its Standard Issue Grant Program by the end of 2015. The grants are available to both US and International agencies and the amounts vary depending on the accompanying warranty or plan.  The grants represent upfront credits toward new equipment and / or service contracts applied at inception of the agreement. The three grant levels include: 

• Level 1: $100 per officer for Smart Weapon or AXON camera with extended warranty
• Level 2: $200 per officer for Smart Weapon or AXON camera with TASER Assurance Plan enrollment (includes Smart Weapon upgrade every 5 years, AXON camera upgrade every 2.5 years)
• Level 3: $400 per officer for Officer Safety Plan enrollment (see more details below)

The Officer Safety Plan includes all of the advanced features of EVIDENCE.com, unlimited storage for bodycam video, a service plan that includes automatic upgrades of the AXON Cameras every 2.5 years and upgrades of the associated TASER devices every five years, as well as full hardware equipment warranties and service.  

TASER's AXON cameras are small, yet highly visible, and can be attached securely to sunglasses, a cap, a shirt collar, or a head mount. They are powered by a pocket-sized battery pack, which ensures recording capability during an entire shift. When recording, the cameras capture a wide-angle, full-color view of what an officer is facing. The video automatically uploads via a docking station to EVIDENCE.com, a cloud-based storage and management system, where it can be easily accessed for review. The video files stored online or on the AXON video camera are secure and cannot be tampered with.

EVIDENCE.com helps law enforcement capture, manage, and share their digital evidence without the complexity or cost of installing in-house servers. It enables greater transparency through seamless integration with the industry-leading AXON body-worn video cameras. EVIDENCE.com is the most secure, scalable, and cost-effective solution for managing all types of digital evidence. EVIDENCE.com automates the upload process to ensure security and integrity while keeping officers in the field rather than sitting at computers.

There have been several studies conducted recently on the positive effects body-worn cameras can have on a police force and community. These studies include a year-long Cambridge University study conducted at the Rialto, CA Police Department that showed an 88% reduction in citizen complaints and a 60% reduction in uses of force after implementation of TASER's AXON flex cameras. The San Diego Police Department also released a report showing the use of AXON body-worn cameras resulted in a 41% drop in complaints, 60% drop in total allegations and a 47% decline in "personal body" force by officers. The use of pepper spray was also reduced by 31%. In a study by Arizona State University, the Mesa Police Department's use of AXON cameras revealed a 48% reduction in citizen complaints against camera officers for misconduct during the study period, and a 75% decline in use of force complaints.

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About TASER International, Inc.

TASER International makes communities safer with innovative public safety technologies. Founded in 1993, TASER first transformed law enforcement with its electrical weapons. TASER continues to define smarter policing with its growing suite of technology solutions, including AXON body-worn video cameras and EVIDENCE.com, a secure digital evidence management platform. More than 140,000 lives and countless dollars have been saved with TASER's products and services.

Learn more at www.TASER.com and www.EVIDENCE.com or by calling (800) 978-2737.  TASER® is a registered trademark of TASER International, Inc., registered in the U.S. All rights reserved. TASER logo and AXON are trademarks of TASER International, Inc.

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For investor relations information please contact Erin Curtis by phone at 480-515-6330 or via email at IR@TASER.com.

CONTACT:
Sydney Siegmeth
PR Director
EVIDENCE.com
Press@TASER.com

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SOURCE TASER International, Inc.