Residents call for transparency as board says Oakland County drones are 911 search‑and‑rescue units, not surveillance

Public commenters at the Oakland County meeting pressed the board for more transparency around the sheriff’s drone program and questioned recent vendor amendments and contract costs.

Phil Lombard of Ferndale said the county’s drone costs have risen sharply: he told commissioners Axon provided a 2023 baseline of about $52,000 per year for hardware and training, three contract amendments have increased annual costs to just over $100,000, and a proposed contract with Flock Safety could cost $1.25 million per year. Lombard said he had to file a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the sheriff’s drone policy and that the county does not meet some community‑access best practices he examined.

“Is there a detailed plan or is the contract a fait accompli?” Lombard asked, urging community engagement and clearer public reporting on what will be measured in any trial.

Chair responded that the county’s drones are 911 search‑and‑rescue drones, not surveillance drones, and said deployments and light‑pattern data are posted on the Oakland County transparency dashboard. The chair said the county is beginning a trial with two platforms — FLIR (referred to as FLAC in meeting) and Skydio — and will consider which vendor to contract with after the trial. “They are 9‑1‑1 drones, not surveillance drones,” the chair said, adding that camera angles and battery life are configured for emergency response.

Commissioners and staff discussed outreach and noted concerns raised about community access to policy and retention of video records; the meeting did not produce a policy change or final contract award. Public commenters also urged broader court accountability and improved public‑facing training materials for probate court operations.