Mebane’s city council last week initiated several new and updated programs for the city’s police force based on actions at its most recent monthly meeting last week.
The city will reinitiate a canine program for the city’s police force at a cost of $30,755.70.
Mebane will have two dogs, reimplementing a program that lapsed in August 2021.
The city will also get new tasers, some new guns (15 new rifles and 20 replacement shotguns), and also begin using body cameras for its officers.
The canine program and the new guns ($23,626.51) will be funded through drug forfeiture money that the police have seized in the course of ongoing police operations.
The body cameras and tasers are part of a seven-year contract with Scottsdale, Arizona-based Axon Enterprise, Inc., totaling $374,050, the first installment of which is part of the city’s regular budget. The payments will be made over the next five years, but the contract covers seven years.
Lieutenant Adam T. Cole and chief Terry Caldwell explained that the Axon contract will allow upgrades for both body cameras and tasers over the next seven years.
In adding back its canine unit, Mebane will join Graham and Burlington municipal forces which have one and four dogs, respectively. The sheriff’s office also has six canine units.
