Axon contract signed Aug 4, 2026, to Dec 31, 2033, $6,955,559 of it city money; Flock contract terminated Aug 25, removal and deletion unconfirmed. Pending: the Axon quote, Policy 1703, any audit, a written answer on fixed Axon readers.
The systems
Axon, the RTIC contract. City of Asheville Contract 92700065, authorized May 12, 2026, signed Aug 4, 2026, $7,423,161.15 to Dec 31, 2033, posted by the city in August; the itemized quote is not posted. Bundles body cameras, tasers, drones and interview-room recording and adds Fusus, the software that puts the city's cameras, plate readers, drones and integrated private cameras on one screen. The center is projected fully operational in spring 2027.The Real-Time Intelligence Center · The Axon contract, as signed · The federal grant and the city's share of the contract · The RTIC Policy
Axon, plate readers. In-car readers since April 2024, never brought to council: 139 active and 835,194 plate reads retained over 21 days on Sept 23, 2026, per the city's Axon portal. A contract for 20 more was in signature in July 2026. Fixed Axon readers are available under the contract on request; the chief's Aug 14 memo plans Axon plate-reader infrastructure by February 2027, and the city manager said Aug 25 none go up before a community conversation.The city's Technology and Public Safety page, annotated · What Axon Contracts Do · Promise Tracker
Fusus, the county network. APD access to the county sheriff's Fusus camera network under a December 2022 MOU and a January 2023 interlocal agreement; about 1,800 cameras at the 2023 vote, about 2,000 today. The chief's memo says APD is evaluating consolidating the county's center into the city's.Buncombe County · Buncombe County Sheriff's Office Fusus access log, 2024 to 2026
Tuesday, October 13, 5:00 PM: Asheville City Council. Agenda not yet posted.
Asheville is building a Real-Time Intelligence Center on Axon’s Fusus platform under a 7.5-year contract, joined to the county sheriff’s camera network, with Axon plate readers in its patrol cars. The Flock cameras were the smaller system and the one council voted to end. This page is the timeline from 2022, in the same format as the WNC neighbors so the city’s sequence reads beside Hendersonville’s, Macon’s or Woodfin’s. The center itself, its documents, its money and what each official has said: The Real-Time Intelligence Center.
Timeline
what was builtwhat communities changedahead, still undecidedwhat was reported
December 2022Built
Asheville police sign an agreement for access to the sheriff's Fusus camera network APD signs an MOU with the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office for access to the county's Fusus platform: "We've had limited access since 2022," Interim Chief Stepp later confirmed (April 28, 2026 session, 1:01:29). The MOU predates the council vote of January 2023.
January 24, 2023Built
Asheville council votes 4 to 1 to join the county's Fusus camera network The interlocal agreement: APD access to the county's ~1,800-camera Fusus network, $30,000/year. Housing Authority director David Nash speaks in favor; the ~500 cameras in housing communities come with no resident consent process (Cameras in Public Housing). Kim Roney casts the only no vote. (Mountain Xpress)
2024Built
Congressman signs the federal earmark request for Asheville's intelligence center APD and the office of U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards arrange a federal RTIC earmark; accounts differ on who initiated it. Edwards signs the request May 22, 2024. Council is not informed. (Chuck Edwards · Timeline)
April 2024Built
Asheville police put plate readers on patrol cars without a council briefing LPRs go live on APD's fleet vehicles. Council is not briefed; there is no vote. (disclosed at the March 7, 2025 briefing)
September 24, 2024Built
Asheville committee hears a $60,000 grant plan to start the intelligence center A ~$60K JAG grant "to start the outfit of a real-time intelligence center" gets an informational committee session (no vote), Hurricane Helene strikes three days later; the RTIC does not return to a council agenda until March 2025. (2025-03-25 City Council)
February 2025Built
Asheville police sign a contract for 11 Flock cameras APD contracts for 11 stationary Flock cameras. (Stepp's own timeline, 1:03:04)
March 7, 2025Changed
Asheville police brief the city council on plate readers for the first time First briefing to council, requested by Kim Roney after she read about the cameras in the news: mobile LPRs running ~11 months, stationary cameras in the community "approximately two years," access to "over 177,000 cameras across the Eastern US"; "and we've had that access." Full write-up: 2025-03-07 Agenda Briefing.
March 25, 2025Built
Asheville council approves the first intelligence center grant, $71,999, 6 to 1 $71,999 on the consent agenda, listed between bulletproof vests and DEA grants. Roney's 29 written questions were unanswered and her request to delay was declined; Hess said "we're not buying surveillance, we're buying chairs" and that the center "already exists." Passes 6 to 1. Full write-up: 2025-03-25 City Council.
The $1.14 million federal earmark for Asheville's intelligence center arrives The Edwards earmark arrives, DOJ-administered, conditions published only after acceptance. (Timeline)
April 14, 2026Changed
Asheville council pulls the intelligence center item from the consent agenda The RTIC item is pulled from consent "to create some awareness"; residents speak against it for an hour. (The People Who Showed Up)
April 28, 2026Built
Axon and Flock present to an Asheville council work session Axon and Flock representatives present, no public comment taken; the Durham "peer city" example is challenged during the session; Roney reads the Flock contract's "irrevocable, worldwide license" clause into the record. Full write-up: 2026-04-28 Work Session.
May 7, 2026Built
Asheville city manager says the Axon contract before council is not yet written Five days before the vote, the city manager confirms the Axon contract council will authorize hasn't been written; the "keep one Flock camera" plan is explained as a network-access subscription. Full write-up: 2026-05-07 Agenda Briefing.
May 12, 2026Built
Asheville council approves the intelligence center grant and Axon contract, 6 to 1 After six hours, 22 of 23 speakers oppose the items; 21 more had signed up and did not speak; the motion was seconded before public comment began. The vote is 6 to 1, Roney the no. $1.14M accepted, 7.5-year Axon authorization granted. Full write-up: 2026-05-12 City Council.
July 16, 2026Built
Asheville sends the Axon contract to Axon for signature City emails released Aug 20 show the contract sent to Axon nine weeks after the vote, a second contract for 20 Axon Fleet in-car plate readers in "final signature stage," and the city attorney's office opting out of Axon's default data program by email. (The RTIC Policy)
August 2026Reported
Asheville police describe their Flock cameras: 11 cameras, 18 authorized searchers APD's explainer interview: 11 cameras, 18 authorized searchers, "you have to put the reason" (Sen. Ron Wyden's office had described Flock's reason field as "meaningless"). (What a plate read becomes · 828NewsNow)
August 4, 2026Built
Asheville city manager signs the $7.4 million Axon contract City of Asheville Contract 92700065: $7,423,161.15 from Aug 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2033, $6,955,559 of it city money; the interim chief signed July 27. (The Axon contract, as signed · The grant and the contract)
August 14, 2026Built
Asheville interim chief tells council Axon plate readers are planned by February 2027 Interim Chief Stepp's memo to council: APD "is not pursuing a full transition away from Flock" and expects "the Axon ALPR infrastructure operational" by February 2027. The city launches its Technology and Public Safety page with the signed contract; its plate-reader answers describe the Flock program. (The city's page, annotated)
August 25, 2026Changed
Asheville council votes 5 to 2 to end the Flock contract Roney moves, Turner seconds; Mosley and Smith vote no. Full write-up: 2026-08-25 City Council.
August 29–September 1, 2026Built
Asheville police drones cover the G20 finance ministerial Finance ministers, federal security, road closures; Asheville's cameras remained in Flock's national network, whose logs elsewhere show searches tagged "protest." APD's drone unit covered the summit's temporary flight restriction around the clock and located nine drone pilots inside it, the department told the Public Safety Committee on Sept 24. (Who Gets Watched · 2026-09-24 Public Safety Committee)
September 24, 2026
Asheville Public Safety Committee meets with no camera item on its agenda No RTIC, plate-reader or audit item. One caller asked the committee to have the Axon quote published and to take up the Resolution 26-180 review; no member or staff member responded. Meeting record
Spring/summer 2027Ahead
Asheville's intelligence center is projected to be fully operational The oversight commitments made at the vote come due; Promise Tracker lists them. (Promise Tracker)
January 31, 2027Ahead
Original end date of Asheville's Flock contract, terminated Aug 25, 2026 The original term of City of Asheville Contract 92500339. Council terminated the contract on Aug 25, 2026; the deletion notice and camera removal are tracked on Getting Flock Out.
2033Ahead
Asheville's Axon contract term ends The renewal terms are on What Axon Contracts Do. (What Axon Contracts Do)
Read against the county pages, Asheville’s sequence runs: camera access and plate readers first, without a council vote (2022 to 2024); the first council briefing in March 2025; the first grant on the consent agenda; vendor presentations at the April 2026 work session; the contract authorized May 12, 2026, before it was written; the contract signed in August. Macon’s commissioners ended a camera program with one 5 to 0 vote (Communities that ended or limited camera contracts); Hendersonville and Woodfin are mid-decision. The center is projected fully operational in spring 2027, and the contract’s non-appropriation clause puts it before council in every budget (the contract, as signed).
