White Salmon council accepts drone donation; chief says policy will prevent warrantless surveillance

At its Nov. 5 meeting, the White Salmon City Council approved a consent-agenda item accepting a donation from Radcomp Technologies to purchase a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) for the police department as part of a package of consent items and vouchers totaling $388,143.64.

Mayor Marla Keethler noted public concern circulating online about the proposed donation; Police Chief Mike Hepner told council that no acceptance decision occurs outside council action and that the donation would only be accepted with council approval. Hepner said the drone is intended for public safety uses such as search and rescue, river or trail rescue, wildfire response and major incidents, and that the donation would cover the full equipment cost with no taxpayer funding.

On privacy, Hepner told council the department’s policies—maintained through the Lexipol platform—prohibit warrantless surveillance and comply with state and federal law. He said violating the Fourth Amendment would jeopardize criminal cases, and that training and policy adherence are required for any operator. Councilors confirmed during discussion that legal protections remain binding regardless of personnel changes.

The council’s unanimous approval of the consent agenda carried the donation acceptance as part of the package. No specific deployment plan or operational details were provided at the meeting; councilors and staff said they would continue to brief the public on policy and training safeguards if the department pursues equipment activation or operational policy changes.