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Council approves drone purchase and $274,000 Motorola contract increase amid NDAA concerns
Summary
As part of the consent calendar, the council approved the police department’s purchase of two DJI drones (~$59,727) and a $274,000 increase to a Motorola contract; Chief Adam Holly said Motorola’s CAPE software and U.S.-based servers will secure data, while a councilmember warned of potential federal NDAA changes.
The Brea City Council on Jan. 21 approved consent items that include a proposal to buy two DJI drones for police operations and a $274,000 increase to the city’s Motorola contract for public-safety systems.
Police Chief Adam Holly said the department chose DJI after evaluating capabilities and cost-effectiveness and emphasized safeguards. “Both the 2024 and 2025 NDAA prohibit certain federal agencies from procuring or operating the drones manufactured by manufacturers like DJI,” Holly said, but he added “these provisions do not extend to state or local law enforcement agencies” and described Motorola’s CAPE software as providing end-to-end encryption and U.S.-based storage of operational data.
Councilmember (speaker 10) raised concerns that aspects of the National Defense Authorization Act could lead to federal restrictions by Dec. 2025 and urged caution about potential replacement costs if federal policy changes. Chief Holly and staff said local agencies retain the legal authority to purchase and operate DJI drones while implementing cybersecurity safeguards.
On the Motorola item, staff clarified payment terms after council questions: the city’s master customer agreement anticipates quarterly invoicing rather than prepayment for services, and the city expects about $88,000 in year-one expenditures with the second-year cost near $143,000 as operations begin.
After those clarifications, the council approved the consent calendar, which included the drone purchase (approx. $59,727) and the Motorola contract amendment, by a 5–0 vote.
