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Commissioners blast delays in establishing drone capability after officer'search
Summary
Following a recent officer fatality that required aid from a neighboring county's drone, several commissioners called the lack of an in-house drone program "an embarrassment" and asked staff to place the program on a future agenda with Chief Cochran and the city attorney to identify hold-ups.
Commissioners used the Sept. 25 Fire Commission meeting to press for an expedited city response to a perceived gap in drone capabilities after a recent officer death.
Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese recounted the incident, saying the department had "to call on a neighboring county for a drone" to help search for a fallen officer and called the lack of an owned and deployable drone fleet "an embarrassment to this city." Veronese said the shortcoming endangered firefighters and police officers by requiring them to enter riskier positions during searches.
Other commissioners echoed the frustration. Commissioner Michael Hardiman and Vice President Francie Covington said the issue has lingered for years amid privacy and legal discussions and urged the commission to place drone procurement and policy on the next agenda. Covington specifically requested that Chief Cochran, who oversees the program, and the city attorney be invited to explain where procedural hold-ups lie and what steps are required to secure and deploy drones for public-safety missions.
No formal policy or procurement decisions were made during the meeting; commissioners asked staff to schedule a focused agenda item to review legal constraints, privacy concerns, procurement steps and operational needs so the commission could set a path forward.
