Council narrows police technology funding: half‑year drone pilot approved, camera request trimmed by $50,000 pending grant

Council and police staff debated whether to restore full funding for a police drone pilot or fund a partial (half‑year) implementation. Chief Redd explained the department currently staffs a sergeant and two full‑time drone pilots (including a University of Utah officer who operates from the city center). “The limiting factor that we have right now is that we have very limited hours because we only have two full‑time drone pilots,” Chief Redd said, noting the need for more pilots to fully utilize equipment.

Councilmember Young proposed restoring full funding; other members preferred a compromise. A straw poll to fund the drone pilot for half‑a‑year passed, producing interim coverage while staff explore scalable options. On cameras and related equipment, staff described three camera types—overt intersection cameras, covert investigatory cameras, and trailer‑mounted cameras for large events—and a 60/40 split between new purchases and replacements in the current request. Council considered a South Davis grant that could cover approximately $50,000 of camera costs; members straw‑polled to reduce the city's camera request by $50,000 if that subaward is accepted.

Council discussed governance and data access concerns raised by some members; staff said administrative policy and ordinance work (including a separate data‑privacy intent) can strengthen controls over data sharing. Members asked staff for a clear public timeline and process if businesses or residents inquire about the decision and noted the need to track grant reappropriation possibilities.

Next steps include staff confirmation of the exact half‑year cost and formal inclusion of the straw‑poll results in the final budget transmittal.