The Wichita Police Department has announced upgrades in technology to help officers respond more effectively to situations in the community.

Under a new contract with provider Axon, officers are being trained to use a new, single-shot “Taser 10” to incapacitate dangerous or uncooperative suspects. The department’s previous Taser model reportedly required officers to pull individual triggers to do the job. Officials say they hope to train 80 to 90 officers each week between now and mid-summer.

Lieutenant Aaron Moses said the new tasers will have an increased range, and that will improve the effectiveness of the tasers in resolving conflicts without resorting to lethal force.   Moses said the new tasers are yellow in color, to prevent officers from confusing the taser with their service pistols.   The tasers will be available to all uniformed personnel for use while on duty and in secondary employment.

The department is also using virtual reality headsets in the training of officers, setting up realistic situations with options for decision-making and safe learning.  Moses said this will simulate high-intensity situations in a controlled environment, allowing training staff to observe officers and make recommendations for improvement.

Moses said the department has also received Axon 4 body cameras with an expanded field of view, and officers will be able to choose between chest-mounted and head-mounted options.   The cameras will have improved video quality and the ability to stream video to supervisors if necessary.   Under the new contract, every uniformed member from the police chief to patrol officers and community service officers will have a body-worn camera.  The transition to the new camera will begin this spring.

The Axon contract will also provide drones to the police department.  Moses said a policy governing the use of the drones will be developed and released to the public to address privacy concerns.   The department is also identifying and training pilots for the drones.

Moses said testing is being done on in-car cameras that can be mounted on the dashboard or inside the car.  He said the department is also investing in technology that will automatically activate the body camera when a vehicle light bar is activated, or when a taser or firearm is drawn from its holster.