Overview
- A two-week pilot using two Skydio docking stations produced 127 flights and reportedly had drones reach calls before officers about three-quarters of the time, a result city leaders see as a way to get eyes on scenes faster.
- Police leaders and Skydio demonstrated how the system links to the city’s computer-aided dispatch and evidence software so operators can show live video, officer locations, and body-camera feeds to responding units.
- Committee members highlighted clear safety benefits from the pilot, including an incident where a drone operator alerted a lone supervisor to a suspect’s movement that the supervisor could not see.
- Major obstacles remain unresolved: the committee has not approved funding, it must decide who will continuously monitor and launch drones, and FAA rules require an operator to remain in control unless the city obtains a waiver.
- Officials discussed broader municipal uses such as fire aerial and thermal imaging, code inspections, and cross-training firefighters and police pilots, and they plan further meetings before any purchase or staffing plan is finalized.