Everett police propose one‑year trial of ‘drone as a first responder’ system from Flock Safety

On April 2, 2025, Everett Police officials briefed the City Council at a Health & Safety community meeting on a proposed “drone as a first responder” (DFR) pilot with vendor Flock Safety that would deploy docked drones to provide near‑continuous city coverage and faster situational awareness.

Police officials said the DFR system could reduce the time from call to drone arrival to roughly the 80–90 second range within a dock’s coverage area, allow officers to see live video while en route, and help with search‑and‑rescue and suspect‑location tasks. Captain Robert Getz, the department’s project manager for the program, said the department has used drones for several years but described the DFR product as “a lot different” because it automates launches from docks and integrates with dispatch and existing license‑plate reader alerts.

The presentation included a live demonstration by Flock Safety staff. Brett Kanda, Flock’s West Coast DFR specialist, demonstrated a remote flight and said the company’s docks can supply about 38 square miles of coverage from a single dock and that customers report an average drone response time of roughly 86 to 90 seconds. Kanda said typical drone endurance per flight is about 40 minutes and that the vendor offers tools for airspace management, logging and evidence export, and a public-facing dashboard showing aggregated, non‑video metrics.

Why it matters: Everett officials said the program could act as a force multiplier at a time of constrained patrol staffing, yielding faster scene information that can shorten hazardous driving responses, reduce unnecessary ground responses, or give officers critical, early situational awareness on serious calls. City leaders also emphasized community transparency and privacy safeguards as central to adoption.

Program details and examples - Pilot structure: Flock offered the city a first dock at no cost for one year and provided a deeply discounted price for a second dock for the trial; Captain Getz said the department has the $50,000 for the second dock in non‑general funds. If the city continues past year one, the department will need to identify funding sources for ongoing service. - Estimated ongoing cost: Police staff said a high‑end configuration with radar and battery‑swap dock could cost roughly $300,000 a year; actual year‑two pricing will depend on chosen equipment and service levels. - Use limits and policy: Captain Getz said the department’s drafted policy — developed with input from the ACLU, the Department of Justice COPS Office and the International Association of Chiefs of Police — prohibits “proactive routine patrol, random surveillance, immigration enforcement, the monitoring of First Amendment activities, or to track persons or vehicles to or from medical facilities,” and will not include facial‑recognition software. Getz said the program will include a public‑facing page with metrics such as response times and counts of missions. - Integration and capability: Flock representatives demonstrated integration with the city’s computer‑aided dispatch and license‑plate readers, the ability to send one‑time spectator links or push notifications to stakeholders, thermal and night sensors for searches, automatic flight logs, photo capture for evidence and export, and a ground‑based radar layer for airspace safety. Flock’s demo pilot flew at speeds the company described as up to 53 mph. - Examples offered by police: Staff described recent local incidents they said illustrated the potential value — a vehicle reportedly in Silver Lake that on arrival proved not to be in the water (where a quick drone arrival, they said, could have reduced risky vehicle and dive responses), and a domestic‑violence protection‑order violation in which the department said a suspect fled into wooded terrain and a quicker drone response might have narrowed the search area earlier.

Privacy, oversight and public access Police and Flock staff described multiple transparency measures: an online dashboard that will show aggregated flight statistics (but not live video) and flight logs with pilot names, incident numbers and after‑action notes. Captain Getz said recorded video will be retained under existing evidence and public‑disclosure rules and will be released only by public‑records processes or to partner agencies on a case‑by‑case basis. Flock staff demonstrated auditing features and access controls designed so department accesses are tracked.

Regulatory and operational limits Flock and police staff said typical FAA limits require flights at or below 400 feet and that local flights may operate with a 200‑foot or 400‑foot ceiling depending on waivers. Staff said they expect to seek required FAA authorizations. The department also plans to seek community feedback through neighborhood briefings and a virtual public meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. the night after the council briefing.

Funding and next steps No formal vote or contract authorization occurred at the April 2 meeting. Police asked the council to allow the mayor to sign a two‑year agreement to cover the trial period (the vendor’s first‑year offer and reduced pricing for the second dock), with an opt‑out after year one. City staff said they will pursue grants, public‑private partnerships and non‑general funds to avoid drawing on general revenues if the pilot continues beyond the donated first year. The department committed to reporting back with data and community feedback at the end of the trial.

Council response and concerns Council members asked about privacy controls, public access to data, the height and range of sensors, equipment warranties, coverage needs across Everett’s unique geography (including airport and industrial areas), and whether the technology could reduce dangerous vehicle responses and pursuits. Police emphasized the program is intended as a tool to support officers, not to replace them.

What’s next Police and Flock staff will hold a public briefing the evening after the council presentation and continue neighborhood outreach. The department will gather operational data during the trial and return to the council with results and funding recommendations before any long‑term commitment.