Council approves barriers and a drone purchase for World Cup security amid privacy concerns

Spokane City Council voted to approve purchases tied to World Cup safety planning, including physical barriers and a drone that staff said replaced an out-of-compliance unit. Council members emphasized that the purchases are being made with grant funding rather than general city funds and said the tools would help public-safety operations and de-escalation; other members recounted protests where drones were present and said they worried about privacy and the potential use of aerial footage in prosecutions.

Council Member Dillon argued the purchases were time-sensitive and supported using grant funds to acquire the equipment quickly; the council also heard a staff note that the older drone had been out of compliance and the replacement was necessary to meet operational needs. Councilman Riddick recounted his experience at a June 11 protest and said he did not feel safer with drones deployed, saying they had been used, "allegedly to prosecute a lot of our community members who are expressing [their] First Amendment right to protest." The meeting record also included assurances from staff and council members that the drone deployment policy excludes facial recognition and that procurement was being accelerated so the city could be eligible for reimbursement under grant terms.

The procurement item listed in the consent sequence as a purchase from "Exxon Enterprise" was taken separately and was recorded as approved on the floor (vote recorded in the transcript). The transcript records that several council members asked for earlier notice in future procurements to allow more time for review.