It was an incredible opportunity to speak with numerous well-known businesses and discover new companies. Axon seek to address a growing ‘trust’ market need in US policing. Yet, I’d assumed Axon’s applicability overseas was less apparent; that a priori view may be incorrect.
Axon’s mission is humbly simplistic - ‘to protect life’ and began life producing the Taser, an electroshock device that seeks to temporarily incapacitate an individual for a safer arrest. Axon explained a glaring challenge with current policing; escalating the use of force to subdue an individual. Serious injury rates rise, unsurprisingly, from escalating policing force used: physical restraint < baton strike < firearm. Yet, Tasers can de-escalate physical force escalation through temporary incapacitation at a much lower risk of serious injury.
Taser success gave Axon credibility to further advance policing and they are now developing smart cameras (hardware and software combinations) and data recording solutions to improve policing transparency and accountability that could have broader international appeal. Separating Axon from peers is its holistic vision to improve the justice system.
