Frequently Asked Questions

About Axon Fusus

How does Axon Fusus ensure privacy and data security in the Community Connect program?

The Axon Community Connect program is designed with privacy at its core. Camera access is entirely permission-based—owners retain full control over when and how their footage is shared. Law enforcement cannot access cameras without explicit consent, and access settings cannot be overridden remotely. For enhanced protection, all data—whether in transit, at rest, or in the cloud—is encrypted to the highest industry standards, including CJIS compliance. Additionally, the system does not currently employ any native facial recognition technology or any identification features tied to innate human characteristics. This ensures secure, respectful use of technology without compromising individual rights.

How does Axon Fusus support ethical policing and ensure accountability in the use of video evidence?

The platform promotes ethical policing by improving the accuracy of suspect identification, helping reduce reliance on potentially biased eyewitness accounts. This leads to more precise, equitable policing and fewer unnecessary stops or interactions. Every interaction within the system is audit-logged, creating a transparent record of how video evidence is accessed and used. This fosters accountability among all users. The system works with existing cameras, reducing the need for added surveillance equipment in order to optimize current infrastructure while reducing costs and officer time spent canvassing for footage.

What does Axon do to ensure transparency and support community participation in the Connect program?

Community collaboration is a foundational principle of the Connect program. Residents and business owners voluntarily register and manage their cameras, with full ability to update or remove their information at any time. Law enforcement can send digital footage requests during investigations, but owners maintain full control over what is shared. Information shared via the registry is not subject to public disclosure and is visible only to authorized personnel. Public engagement practices—like listening sessions and local government oversight—help ensure that program deployment reflects the values and concerns of the communities it serves.

What resources does Axon offer to help agencies build and improve Real-Time Crime Centers (RTCCs)?

The RTCC Forum

Connect with other public safety professionals using real-time crime centers. Join the RTCC Forum—a dedicated space where agencies can share best practices, ask questions, and engage directly with the Axon Fusus team. Whether you're just getting started or expanding your program, the forum is a valuable resource for peer support and expert guidance.

Building the Next Generation of Real Time Crime Centers – Read the whitepaper.

The Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) is an extremely valuable resource for law enforcement agencies across the country. Though they have risen in popularity over the last two decades, until recently they were reserved for a few agencies that could afford them, with prices well into tens of millions of dollars, making them exclusive to police departments with the deepest pockets.

In this whitepaper, we share how the next generation of Real-Time Crime Centers is built on an open platform allowing for integrations with public and private cameras while increasing the abilities to provide better outcomes and address privacy concerns.

Camera Registry

How does the camera registry work?

The camera registry is a way for the police department to easily locate the nearest cameras in the vicinity during the course of an investigation that impacts public safety. In the past, when criminal activity occurred, investigators had to search on foot to identify private cameras in an area, and then make multiple trips to retrieve recorded footage from the cameras' owners, such as stores, gas stations, etc. The camera registry enables camera owners to register their cameras’ locations quickly and easily online, creating a map of camera locations for the police. Registering a camera does not require any cost or hardware. The camera is simply mapped, and does not create any live streaming capabilities. However, in the case of criminal activity, the registry makes it easy for investigators to email a digital footage request to a camera owner, and for the owner to fulfill that request without police having to visit their location to retrieve the footage.

If I register my cameras, can the police department remotely access my cameras at any time?

No - registering your cameras simply means the police department will know where your cameras are located in case there is a criminal incident. They have no direct access to your cameras, and will only use the registry to contact you to request footage in the event of an incident in your vicinity.

Who has access to the camera map?

Only authorized law enforcement users have access to the entire camera registry map in their jurisdiction.

Can I unsubscribe from the camera registry, and change or delete my information?

Yes – when you register your cameras you will set up a password protected profile for yourself. You can log in and edit or delete your information at any time.

Is my camera registry information subject to a disclosure in a public data request?

No - your camera registry information is classified as protected non-public data, and is only accessible by authorized users of the system.

Video Sharing

Does Axon Fusus offer real-time video sharing?

Yes - Axon Fusus offers access to both real-time video sharing as well as video recordings, depending on the conditional access settings you choose through the Axon Fusus policy-based sharing engine. Real-time video sharing is achieved via installation of a Axon Fusus Core device on your camera network.

How does conditional camera access work?

Conditional camera access means the camera’s owners have the ability to choose how and when their cameras are accessible to authorized law enforcement via their Axon Fusus Core. For example, the local police department may choose to have access to street, public building and transit cameras streaming live 24/7 based on the department's policy. However, private businesses may choose to only have their cameras accessible to the police department when an emergency situation arises, and they activate the live sharing capability via a panic button. Private businesses may also choose to have their cameras stream live or only permit access when they approve an access request.

Can my cameras be accessed without my knowledge?

No - the Axon Fusus platform requires the camera owner to positively affirm and opt into the system. Camera access and settings are all controlled solely by the camera owner.

Can the police department override my access settings to remotely access my cameras at any time?

No - Axon Fusus policy-based conditional access is a strictly one-way system, which means that the camera owner's policy settings cannot be overridden remotely. The camera owner has sole control over whether their cameras' streams are accessible to authorized law enforcement or not.

Does Axon Fusus integrate with doorbell cameras?

Yes - Axon Fusus has the ability to integrate with most commercially available camera systems at the camera owner’s request. However, Axon Fusus does not (a) access camera system without prior authorization from the camera owner or (b) access specifically closed-loop security systems outside of explicit agreements between both the camera owner as well as the technology system provider.

How does the panic button functionality work?

Axon Fusus equips locations, upon request, with a virtual panic button in the form of a smart phone app. The camera owner pre-determines who has access to the system and under what conditions. In the course of normal operations, the location's cameras function in standard non-streaming mode with no external access. In the event of an emergency, such as a fire breaking out or an active shooter situation, the panic buttons can be used to send an immediate alert to first responders as well as activating the live stream of the cameras.

Does Axon Fusus employ facial recognition technology?

No - Axon Fusus does not currently include any native facial recognition capabilities.

Does Axon Fusus utilize artificial intelligence?

Yes - Axon Fusus utilizes artificial intelligence to rapidly search video provided to the Platform by users in order to mitigate criminal activity.

System Security

Is Axon Fusus Secure?

Yes – Axon Fusus adheres to the highest standards of security for access to, transfer, and sharing of Criminal Justice Information according to CJIS standards. All data that is accessible within Axon Fusus is encrypted at rest, in transit, and in its cloud hosted location. Access to databases is restricted by strict networking rules. All Axon Fusus Employees involved in CJIS-related software development undergo an extensive screening process, including background checks and fingerprinting.

Is the Axon Fusus Core secure?

Yes - the data is secured and encrypted at rest, in transit, and in the Cloud. The Axon Fusus Core establishes a secure connection with TLS 1.3 allowing outbound traffic to AWS GovCloud. Once data reaches the Axon Fusus CJIS-compliant cloud storage location, hosted on AWS Gov-Cloud servers, data is redundantly stored in multiple, geographically separated storage locations, or zones, to ensure over 99.9999% reliability and durability of data.

If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, please contact Axon Fusus Support at +1(844) 226-9226 or fusus_connect@axon.com.