Upgrading police tech
The Los Gatos Town Council approved a $2.79 million agreement with Axon Enterprise over the next 10 years for a suite of upgraded technology to be used by the Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Department.
Axon Enterprise develops weapons and technology for the military, law enforcement and civilians. It is known for developing the Taser, which used be the name of the company. The agreement would equip police with the Axon Integrated Safety and Law Enforcement 10+ program, or ISLE 10+.
“Staff believes that the Axon ISLE 10+ program represents a strategic long-term investment that ensures predictable financial planning, maintains the department’s technological leadership and enhances community safety and transparency,” said Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Capt. Clinton Tada in his report to town council.
The town already has two different plans with Axon with more limited features. The first provides vehicle fleet cameras and automatic license plate readers and ends in May 2026. The second plan encompasses the department’s body cameras, tasers and cloud storage for evidence. Over five years, the total cost of both plans was around $995,000.
The updated agreement would give the police department Axon Fusus Integration Software to access a “real-time crime center in the cloud,” along with drone technology for patrol and pre-arrival situational awareness, new body cameras with built-in translation services and a virtual reality training simulator.
Grants and donations from the Los Gatos Monte Sereno Police Foundation and the municipal Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Fund will offset costs in the first five years so it wouldn’t impact the town’s looming deficit.
High school choir honors
Several choirs in the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District will be performing for music educators at prestigious conferences in the coming months.
The Los Gatos High School Treble Choir was chosen to perform at the Western American Choral Directors Association Conference next March. The conference is the largest regional gathering of choral educators and professionals from Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah. The selection process is highly competitive and requires a juried audition process based on the submission of live performance recordings.
The Treble Choir will also perform with the Los Gatos High Mixed Choir at the California Music Educators Association State Choral Festival next April at Green Music Center at Sonoma State University. Qualifying choirs must earn unanimous superior ratings at the association’s large ensemble festival.
Three Saratoga High School students were chosen to participate in the California Music Educators Association Bay Section Honor Choir at San Jose State University on Nov. 21-22.
“These achievements are the result of countless hours of practice, teamwork, and dedication, not just from the students, but from our amazing teachers and supportive families,” Superintendent Heath Rocha said in a release.