City accepts donated police drones; vendor warns automated tracking unsuitable for law-enforcement use

The Junction City Council voted unanimously to accept a donation of drone equipment from the Junction City Police Foundation on Jan. 27, approving formal acceptance under the city’s gift policy.

Chief Waddell introduced the donation and invited foundation members and the vendor to speak. Vendor Adam Sales, described in the record as the representative who sold the equipment, said the center drone includes a feature called AutoTrac but cautioned against relying on it in policing. "The AutoTrac feature is a nice feature, but it's not one that works in a law enforcement setting," he said, adding that the department must rely on trained pilots and operator judgment in the field. Chief Waddell said the equipment will help with officer and community safety and assist fire and search-and-rescue operations.

Councilors praised the community and foundation efforts to fund the program and thanked officers who already completed certification. The council noted only that the donation had been vetted against the city’s gift-acceptance policy and that staff would bring policies and operating procedures into practice. The council’s motion to accept the donation was moved by Councilor Hancock and seconded as recorded; the roll call vote was unanimous.

The police chief said the department already has a drone policy and two certified operators, and that additional training and cross-agency cooperation (including county partners) are planned before routine deployment. Staff said more operational detail—such as deployment rules and logs—will be finalized in department procedures and reported in weekly updates.