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The Windsor Town Council voted unanimously May 11 to adopt a resolution accepting the award of additional 599 law enforcement funding from the state to be implemented as part of a first installment of Taser upgrades, maintaining serviceable less-than-lethal options for the Windsor Police Department.

In a memo to the mayor and Town Council, Windsor Town Manager William Saunders noted Gov. Ralph Northam’s recent budget included additional funding for local police departments, with the Town of Windsor’s allotment being $4,707 of additional 599 law enforcement funding. 

Saunders stated this has resulted in the receipt of that amount of 599 funding in addition to that anticipated in the fiscal year 2020-21 budget.

“Currently, the Windsor Police Department is deploying Tasers which have passed their expected service life and are no longer supported by the vendor,” Saunders wrote. “In order to maintain serviceable less-than-lethal options for our law enforcement officers, these Taser units require upgrading.”

Windsor Police Chief Rodney “Dan” Riddle explained at the May 11 meeting that the expected service life of Tasers is four to six years.

A proposal has been received from Axon Enterprise Inc. whereby the Taser upgrades can be accomplished through three annual installments, Saunders noted, the first being $5,000 out of the FY 2020-21 Operating Budget. Later installments of $3,900 each would be programmed into the Capital Improvements Plan for FY 2022 and FY 2023.

The resolution adopted by the Town Council appropriated the $4,707 award into the Police Department Equipment line item of the town’s General Fund Operating Budget for FY 2020-21.

Section 3 of the resolution states, “That the town manager and the chief of police are hereby authorized and directed to do all things necessary to implement this award in the acquisition of upgraded Tasers and accoutrement.”