Tempe Council Faces Axon Privacy Pushback | Phoenix News

Tempe’s newly elected council members are hitting the ground running, pledging transparency and accountability after voters made it clear they want change. Their first major challenge? A $7 million five-year contract with Axon, which includes body cameras, Tasers, AI tools, and controversial license plate readers—raising privacy alarms after the city recently dumped a similar deal with Flock. Councilmember Bobby Nichols called the license reader component “completely unacceptable,” while Brooke St. George vowed to scrutinize the budget and push for a new misconduct office. Both emphasize balancing tech-driven safety with strong privacy safeguards, confident that their election signals Tempe’s readiness for bold, community-focused governance. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/c46d23672631f759