ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The City of Albuquerque is ready to do business again with Taser International in a multi-million dollar deal to give every police officer a new lapel camera and a backup camera.

The last time the city brokered a deal with Taser, it was mired in controversy. This time the city promises transparency making sure the whole process is out in the open.

This year the city put out a Request for Proposals to purchase 2,000 new lapel cameras. A committee looked at options.

The membership included Council Services, an Albuquerque Police Department sergeant in the Northeast Area Command, an APD commander in the Scientific Evidence Division, a police officer in the Southeast Area Command, a senior research scientist at the University of New Mexico, a member of the Community Policing Council, and an assistant lead investigator of the Civilian Police Oversight Agency.

“This selection committee has made the recommendation for Taser to be awarded the recommendation of award,” said Gilbert Montano, chief of staff for the City of Albuquerque.

They determined that Taser cameras and the company’s Evidence.com digital storage system for all those videos was ideal.

“This is a company that’s utilized by the largest police departments within the country. They have a proven track record for quality,” he said.

In 2013, KRQE News 13 first exposed that now-retired APD Chief Ray Schultz made a $2 million deal between the city and Taser, knowing he’d soon be working for Taser.

The city’s inspector general found Schultz received meals and flights from Taser and violated the Conflict of Interest ordinance.

The state auditor also found Schultz and other employees wrongfully took freebies from Taser.

“We want to make sure the public knows we’re cognizant of that and we’re acting accordingly to ensure both them and ourselves that everything has been followed to the T,” said Montano.

This time, the city inspector general will make sure a new Taser contract passes muster by reviewing everything. It will then go to the city council for a vote before the city and Taser enter negotiations.

According to a city spokesperson, there we nine bidders. Four were found to be responsive: Utility Associates, Taser International, Vievu, and Digital Ally.

The city says the deal with Taser could be finalized by early March.