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Committee endorses forwarding no‑cost police pilot for drones and audio gunshot detection
Summary
The committee voted to forward two no‑cost pilot agreements with Flock Safety to test drone deployment for first‑responder situational awareness and an audio gunshot‑detection system that could replace ShotSpotter; city staff said the pilot is no-cost at inception but future funding (first‑year cost cited at $50,000) may be requested if adopted.
The Lawrence Budget & Finance Committee voted Dec. 11 to send to the full council a pair of no‑cost pilot proposals from the Police Department to test drone first‑responder support and an audio gunshot detection system.
Rosa Shepherd, Director of Support Services for the Lawrence Police Department, described two proposed no‑cost pilots with vendor Flock Safety that would allow the department to evaluate emerging public-safety technologies prior to any financial commitment by the city. Shepherd introduced IT Director Carlos Castillo and Sergeant Salmondar, who explained operational details.
Sergeant Salmondar said the drone pilot would permit dispatcher-deployed drones to arrive on scene and provide a mapped aerial view before officers do, helping dispatchers and commanders decide how many units and which services (police, fire, EMS) to send. He said the system is already in use in other Massachusetts municipalities and noted that the pilot is intended to be fully compliant with applicable ordinances and laws.
The pilot includes a second component: an audio detection system the department would test as a replacement for the city’s current ShotSpotter installation. Salmondar said the goal is to obtain similar or better coverage at substantially lower cost and that, while the pilot itself is no-cost, the department would request funding if the city chooses to adopt the systems after testing; he cited a possible first‑year adoption cost of about $50,000.
After questions about the program timeline and first-year costs, the committee voted to send the pilot proposals to the full council with a favorable recommendation. Council President Giovanni Rodriguez, Councilor Wendy Luzon and Chair Stephanie Fante cast recorded yes votes.
