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Commission approves $20,200 drone purchase for police, including indoor tactical units
Summary
Kentwood approved purchase of one DJI Matrice 30T and two DJI Mini/EVO-style tactical drones, with price and funding from the FY Police Equipment Fund; chief said drones aid search, evidence preservation and mutual-aid responses.
The Kentwood City Commission approved the police department’s request to purchase drones and related software for $20,200 from the fiscal-year Police Equipment Fund.
Police staff asked to buy one DJI Matrice 30T (a larger drone similar to the department’s current unit) plus two smaller tactical drones intended for indoor and confined-space use. Police Chief Lewin said the larger drone lets the department maintain continuous aerial coverage during battery swaps and provide two simultaneous aircraft for incidents; the smaller units attach to a headset for operators to fly inside buildings or hazardous areas and simulcast video to a command post. Lewin said the department has about 10 FAA-licensed drone pilots and uses drone mutual aid with neighboring jurisdictions without fee.
Commissioners asked about deployment frequency, outside-agency requests and battery-life monitoring; Lewin said the drone system logs battery status and will return to its launch point with minutes of battery remaining. The motion to approve was moved by Commissioner Arts and supported by Commissioner Moore; the item passed on a voice vote.
