Residents press council for drone policy after unanimous approval of temporary parade barriers; council member defends drone purchase

Two related topics surfaced: public concern about police drones and a council decision to rent parade barriers for the Hall of Fame parade.

Public commenter Skylar Bruce said students walked out to protest immigration enforcement and linked those demonstrations to worries about surveillance. Bruce urged council to adopt policy guardrails before drones become normalized, warning of scenarios she described as extreme — thermal imaging used to locate homeless people, broad data retention, and potential weaponization — and asked which department would be cut to pay an estimated near‑$100,000 ongoing drone expense. "Silence in policy is not protection," she said.

Council discussion included a motion to adopt an informal resolution (IR‑2) to rent security barriers for the Hall of Fame parade route; members explained the barriers were first used the prior year after national incidents involving vehicles in crowds and said the measure is to protect parade attendees. IR‑2 passed by voice vote.

In miscellaneous business, a councilmember who helped sponsor the drone contract defended it, stating the drones "will not be weaponized" and said there is no provision for weapons on the platforms. He asked the public and colleagues to give the mayor and the police department the benefit of the doubt while the city develops policy and training.

There was no ordinance adoption on drone use or a formal policy vote at this meeting; council discussion and public comments indicated oversight concerns will require follow‑up work.