New Castle County police pitch Axon tech package and 24‑unit drone rollout; council presses on cost and oversight

Councilman Kaneko, co‑chair of the New Castle County Public Safety Committee, opened a Dec. 9 meeting where police leaders outlined a proposed technology package with Axon Enterprises that would add a Real Time Information Center (RTIC), refreshed body‑worn cameras and a phased Drone First Responder (DFR) program intended to expand incident awareness and reduce risky officer encounters.

Colonel James Leonard introduced the proposal and acknowledged its cost, saying the package before the committee is “very expensive” but arguing it would multiply officer capacity and improve safety. Lieutenant Cumberbatch, the department’s technology executive officer, described the RTIC as “a centralized hub for information, data integration and operational support,” telling council members the system links live body‑worn and dash cameras, drone video, traffic feeds and automatic alerts into “one pane of glass” for real‑time situational awareness.

Cumberbatch said the DFR concept uses keyword detection from 911 (tools the presenters called Prepared 911 and Live 911) so RTIC pilots can launch drones from pre‑established rooftop sites; in tests he cited a three‑week trial with 177 flights in which the drone arrived before…