Meridian Police propose Axon AI bundle and 'drone-first responder' program; city to consider budget amendment
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Summary
Police presented a subscription proposal combining AI report-drafting, ALPR, real-time translation and a drone-first-responder network; staff requested a budget amendment and said the vendor has a limited Skydio buyback window.
Meridian Police outlined a multi-part technology proposal on Jan. 13 that would add AI-assisted tools and a small network of always-ready drones to speed response and reduce officers’ administrative time.
Captain Jamie Leslie described the Axon AI bundle the department is proposing: Draft 1 (an AI-assisted draft report tool), Brief1/policy-chat tools and integration of license-plate reader (ALPR) cameras into a single Axon "pane of glass" for evidence, plus a drone-first-responder (DFR) deployment with three fixed locations and two mobile drones. Leslie said the department has already saved roughly 27.86 minutes per report using Draft 1 in tests and estimated the DFR could be on scene for many calls within 90 seconds to two minutes.
"We've seen an average of about 27.86 minutes saved per report," Leslie said, adding that the department has already logged roughly 7,000 hours saved using Draft 1 in parts of the organization.
The proposal asks council for a budget amendment to fund the subscription by repurposing four vacant patrol positions and using analytic staff capacity currently unfilled. Leslie said Axon can also cover warranty and replacement and that switching to U.S.-manufactured Skydio drones is part of a plan to comply with a new Federal Communications Commission restriction; a limited buyback credit from Skydio was described as time sensitive.
Council members asked about public outreach, drone interaction and program metrics. Chief Shea said the department plans social-media and news release messaging and emphasized that many drone responses would be unobtrusive: drones would be dispatched to vet low-priority calls and cancel officer response when appropriate to avoid tying up units.
"We have a plan to put out social media things, put out some, news releases as well," the chief said when asked about community outreach.
Supporters on the council said they were optimistic about officer safety and administrative-effort reductions; several members requested fast but careful follow-up and asked staff to return with a budget amendment the next week. No formal funding decision was made at the meeting; council directed staff to return with details and cost options.
Why it matters: The package would alter how the police department responds to routine calls and how officers spend on- and off-duty time. Draft 1 and the DFR together were pitched as ways to reduce officer time on reports and to give first eyes to responding units quickly, potentially improving officer safety and freeing patrol resources for other tasks.
