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Middletown council reviews $50,000 drone contract, chiefs say police share won’t hit taxpayers
Summary
At a Feb. 2 Common Council workshop, police and fire chiefs described a proposed $50,000 drone service with a 90‑day trial, a roughly 50/50 cost split and police funding from forfeiture funds; officials said the device would not collect license‑plate data and that recorded missions could be subject to public‑records rules.
City officials discussed a proposed $50,000 contract to deploy automated drones for police and fire response during a Feb. 2 Common Council Questions Directors workshop.
Police and fire leaders told council members the vendor contract would begin with a 90‑day trial and, if the council does not halt the program during that period, the agreement would become serviceable and fees would be due. "Our half... will not be a cost to taxpayers," said Police Chief Eric M. Costa, referring to the police department’s roughly $25,000 share, which he said would come from the department’s forfeiture line.
The chiefs said the drone would be able to launch from the Cross Street Firehouse roof and reach incidents within about a three‑mile radius. "Once a call comes in, the dispatch will be able to hit a button. The drone will self deploy," the Fire Chief said, describing automated GIS‑guided flight and an automated return to a charging case after a mission.
Council members asked about vendor selection and oversight. Officials said they were approached by a provider referred to in the meeting materials and that the contract before the council reflects purchasing and legal review. The chief said the contract includes vendor training for the device and that both departments already maintain certified drone teams that train together monthly.
Data privacy was a key question. "This isn't a drone that would collect… license plate data," Chief Costa said, adding that the device records aerial photos and mission logs for investigative and training purposes but does not perform automated license‑plate recognition or tie into the department’s LPR systems. Officials said recorded material could be subject to public‑records requests and that some footage would be retained for roughly a 30‑day window for records purposes.
Officials framed the technology as a response and situational‑awareness tool: chiefs cited potential uses at university campus incidents, hospital safety responses and structure‑fire sizing to better direct personnel. The council did not vote on the contract at the workshop; staff said the city will proceed through the 90‑day trial and consider budget implications in the next fiscal process.
