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Lake Odessa council authorizes police drone after presentation, trustees call for use policy
Summary
The Lake Odessa Village Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-20 on March 16, 2026, authorizing purchase of a police drone after a presentation by local officers; trustees asked staff to develop a use-and-privacy policy before deployment.
The Lake Odessa Village Council voted unanimously March 16 to adopt Resolution 2026-20 authorizing the purchase of a police drone following a presentation by Officer Eric Tollefson of the Lake Odessa Police Department and Officer Jason Roth of the Belding Police Department.
The officers reviewed the recommended unit’s features and capabilities and described operational uses including search-and-rescue, scene documentation and demonstrations at public events. "The unit being recommended is a ‘workhorse’ and [has] been successfully used," Officer Jason Roth said.
Trustee Ben DeJong, who moved the resolution, said the council should adopt a formal policy addressing when drones may be used and how privacy concerns will be handled before the equipment is deployed for routine operations. "We need to have a policy to address when the drones are used and privacy concerns," DeJong said. The issue was discussed but the council did not adopt a use policy at the meeting.
Trustee Roy Halfmann praised the investment as a public-safety tool, saying, "if it saved one life it is worth the cost." President Karen Banks described a past rescue conducted without drone assistance and said the capability will be "a huge blessing to have." Officer Eric Tollefson thanked the council for budgetary support and noted training and certification steps already completed.
The motion to adopt Resolution 2026-20 was made by Trustee Ben DeJong and supported by Trustee Mike Brighton. President Karen Banks called a roll-call vote: Yes — DeJong, Brighton, Green, Halfmann, Rush, Yoder, Banks. No members opposed; the resolution carried 7-0.
The council’s action authorizes purchase of the recommended unit; council discussion identified next steps would include drafting operational policy and scheduling community demonstrations but no formal policy or operational directive was adopted at this meeting. The council also welcomed new Village Manager Mark Borden during trustee comments.
