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Murrieta police outline 'drone as first responder' plan; staff request $150,000 to start first year
Summary
Police Chief Matt Henry and Capt. Jeremy Duran presented a Drone as First Responder program proposing three drone docks, one full‑time pilot and a three‑year contract (roughly $750,000 total); council asked operational and staffing questions and expressed general support but took no final vote.
Police leaders told the Murrieta City Council on Oct. 7 that a Drone as First Responder (DFR) program could put aerial eyes on critical incidents within minutes and improve officer and public safety, and they requested initial funding to launch a pilot.
Chief Matt Henry and Captain Jeremy Duran described the program as an expansion of the city’s existing unmanned aerial‑systems work that would add three fixed drone docks at city‑owned locations (the police department and two fire stations) plus a central radar and a dedicated DFR pilot. Staff said the recommended first‑year funding request is $150,000 from Measure T unassigned funds; the presenter described a three‑year agreement with the vendor that amounts to about $750,000 total and roughly $300,000 per year in subsequent years.
Presenters said the system would enable an on‑duty pilot to launch the nearest drone when a 911 call comes in and provide live video and radio updates to responders and dispatch. Captain Jeremy Duran said DFR can shorten the time to obtain a scene view "to 90 seconds to 2 minutes" in some locations, and Chief Henry described prior uses for search and public‑safety support.
Council members asked about staffing, hardware ownership and costs. Staff said the program would initially reassign an existing sworn officer to be a full‑time DFR pilot (with the department able to staff ad hoc shifts from the current pilot pool) and that the equipment would be provided under a subscription/three‑year model rather than purchased outright to keep technology current. The presentation referenced compliance with California Assembly Bill 481 and annual reporting requirements tied to state law.
Council members generally expressed support and asked staff to gather statistics on likely call types and to track performance metrics once the program begins. No final vote on the amendment was taken during the meeting; staff said they expected to implement the program after council approval of the funding and contract language.
Next steps: staff to return with contract documents and an implementation schedule, including proposed staffing and performance measures.
