Oakland County approves nine‑month countywide drone pilot, board addresses data‑use concerns

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a one‑time, nine‑month pilot that will deploy seven unmanned drones countywide to support call‑for‑service responses, county staff said.

Under Sheriff Willis told the board the program is ‘‘call‑for‑service driven’’ and that each flight will be attached to a specific service number and visible on a public dashboard. ‘‘You can see every flight, the public can see every flight,’’ Willis said, adding the county does not use drones for routine patrols.

Commissioner Ericson G. raised concerns about the proposed vendor, Flock, and whether the company’s systems have previously shared data with outside organizations. ‘‘Will these drones be collecting data and if so who is storing this data and controlling it?’’ Ericson G. asked. The sheriff’s office replied that the county will retain custody of evidentiary footage in its repository and that any release would require county authorization: ‘‘Flock’s not going to use…any information…without us saying, ‘Oh yeah, turn it over to this person,’ ’’ Willis said.

The pilot aims to gather operational data over the agreed trial period so the county can evaluate whether to pursue a longer program. The motion to authorize the pilot was approved by the board in a voice vote recorded by the chair as approved during the meeting.

The pilot’s stated limits — call‑for‑service use only, flight transparency through a public dashboard, and county custody of footage — were emphasized by staff during questioning. Commissioners also discussed local use cases, including the tracking of illegal dirt‑bike activity in Pontiac, and staff said the sheriff’s office will operate the countywide unit rather than turning drones over to individual municipalities.

Next steps: staff will implement the pilot, collect operational data during the trial period and return to the board with findings and a recommendation about whether to continue the program.