Axon Case Study Reveals the Power of Police Body Camera Footage for Prosecuting Domestic Violence

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Nov. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Axon (Nasdaq: AAXN), the global leader in connected law enforcement technologies, today announced a groundbreaking case study demonstrating the effects of body-worn cameras on domestic and family violence (DFV) cases. The case study was conducted in conjunction with the Queensland Police Service (QPS) in Australia. It showed an increase in charges filed, arrests and convictions for DFV cases following a deployment of 5,100 Axon body-worn cameras by the agency. A video highlighting the results of the study can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/239673451

In light of the more than 5,000 responses to DFV cases each week by Australian law enforcement, QPS mandated that all officers document DFV situations with their body-worn cameras. The presence of body-worn cameras at the scene of the incident has proven to cause abusers to admit guilt and avoid a trial, saving time and money for police agencies. In cases that have gone to trial, the presence of video has led to an increase in conviction rates. Subsequently, more victims have been encouraged to come forward and report on incidents of not only domestic violence, but assaults and life-endangering acts. 

Since the QPS implemented their new policy on documenting all DFV situations with their Axon body cameras in 2015, more than 50,000 videos pertaining to DFV cases have been uploaded. The case study, conducted between July 2016 and September 1, 2017, revealed the following results: 

• A 60% to 70% decrease in police summary hearings. Video footage can be used in "Accelerated Evidence Trial" programs, which often resolve domestic violence cases before going to a full trial, saving time and money for the agency. 
• A 22% projected increase in DFV reporting.

"The after-image of a domestic violence incident tends to be messy and chaotic - from even one frame it's obvious that things are not normal," says Detective Inspector Marc Hogan of the Queensland Police Service. "Capturing that chaos on paper used to be virtually impossible, but Axon has enabled us to preserve these tragic scenes. Domestic and family violence continues to be an issue across Australia, but thanks to this technology we are making real strides - both toward increasing visibility and bringing a greater number of prosecutions."

"Seeing the Queensland Police Service success in this area has been truly inspiring," says Axon CEO and founder, Rick Smith. "Not only has the body-worn camera initiative enabled law enforcement to more effectively prosecute these cases, but it has given citizens the confidence and courage to increasingly come forward with their own stories. Seeing QPS's success only reinforces our vision of a future defined by more efficient policing, increased time in the field for officers, and a strengthened bond of trust between agencies and the citizens they protect."

About Axon

The Axon network is a network of devices, apps and people that helps law enforcement become smarter and safer. Our mission is to protect life. Our technologies give law enforcement the confidence, focus and time they need to keep their communities safe. Our products impact every aspect of an officer's day-to-day experience:

• In the field - Our Smart Weapons offer a less-lethal intermediate use of force response and our body-worn and in-car cameras collect video evidence to capture the truth of an incident; and our mobile applications enable simple evidence collection.
• At the station - Our secure, cloud-based digital evidence management solution allows officers and command staff to manage, review, share and process digital evidence using forensic, redaction, transcription, and other tools.
• In the courtroom - Our solutions for prosecutors make collaborating across jurisdictions and agencies easy so that cases can be resolved quickly. 

We work hard for those who put themselves in harm's way for all of us. To date, there are more than 187,400 licensed users from around the world and more than 191,000 lives and countless dollars have been saved with the Axon network of devices, apps and people. Learn more at www.axon.com or by calling (800) 978-2737.

Axon, the "Axon Delta" logo, Axon network, Smart Weapons, and "Protect Life" are trademarks of Axon Enterprise, Inc., some of which are registered in the U.S. and other countries. For more information, visit www.axon.com/legal. All rights reserved.

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CONTACT: Sydney Siegmeth
VP Communications
Press@axon.com 

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