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Duluth police propose drone-first-responder program, AI-assisted dictation and multi-jurisdictional tactical agreement
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Summary
The police chief briefed council on a proposed Axon/Skydio drone-as-first-responder program, an I2 data‑processing purchase and a multi-jurisdictional tactical response agreement; the chief emphasized legal limits, a public transparency dashboard, no facial recognition, and state-mandated deletion of non-case drone video after seven days.
The Duluth Police Department asked council to authorize several public‑safety technology items, including a proposed Axon/Skydio drone‑as‑first‑responder (DFR) program, purchase of I2 data‑processing software, and a 10‑year multi‑jurisdictional agreement with Hermantown to create a regional tactical response team.
The police chief described the DFR proposal as part of an Axon suite that includes body‑worn cameras and in‑car cameras. "This would allow us to use drones to get on scene quickly, to provide ... public safety," the chief said, explaining the tool can give overhead situational awareness that in some cases reduces the need to deploy officers. The chief cited examples from other jurisdictions and said the proposed system would not include biometrics or facial recognition and would use a public transparency dashboard that logs when and where drones flew. He added Minnesota statute limits launch conditions and that non‑case video must be deleted after seven days unless retained for an active investigation.
Councilors asked about optics and public concerns about surveillance. The chief said the drone's camera gimbal does not record by default while the unit is in transit and reiterated measures to reduce privacy concerns (no biometrics, statutory deletion windows). Councilor Swenson asked about storage capacity; the chief said existing Axon cloud storage provides "unlimited" data under the current contract and that the department typically holds roughly 50 terabytes of data.
On AI‑assisted dictation (Draft1), the chief said the department has used dictated transcription in the past and that the Draft1 product would generate drafts officers must review and edit before approval; the software would be supervised and reviewed by supervisors and prosecutors to safeguard accuracy. The chief said other Minnesota jurisdictions (Rochester, Olmsted County) have used the product and that legal and prosecutorial offices had been consulted.
Funding for the drone proposal, the chief said, is drawn from prior capital requests tied to the original Axon project and some staff savings; the department is not requesting a general‑fund increase. Councilors encouraged outreach to the Citizen Review Board and the Human Rights Commission and asked for reporting and policy review as the program develops.
No final procurement vote was recorded in the transcript excerpt; councilors debated operational, legal and transparency conditions and asked staff to provide further policy detail.
