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Council committee approves 30‑day drone "first responder" pilot; members press for policies and community input
Summary
The Public Safety Committee approved a budget amendment to reimburse overtime tied to a 30‑day drone-as-first-responder pilot staged from the East Side office. Committee members pressed for clear policies, community outreach and comparisons with other cities before any permanent expansion.
The Public Safety Committee approved a budget amendment to appropriate funds related to a 30‑day pilot program that will use drones as first responders for certain 911 calls.
Committee members repeatedly sought details about the pilot’s scope, safety, privacy protections and deployment. Police Chief Smith said the pilot — which began in April and has been limited by weather — will test response times, coverage, safety risk and mitigation, effects on officer and public safety, crime‑prevention and investigative effectiveness, search‑and‑rescue operations, data and intelligence sharing, and cost considerations.
Chief Smith told the committee the pilot’s drones are staged on the roof of the East Side…
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