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Finance Committee approves $2.17 million Axon drone program after privacy, cost questions
Summary
The City of Santa Fe Finance Committee approved a $2,168,020 contract with Axon for a first-responder drone program and a $433,604 FY27 budget adjustment despite privacy and cost concerns; Councilor Castro voted no and one other member expressed hesitation about the program's price amid tight finances.
The City of Santa Fe Finance Committee voted to approve a goods and services contract with Axon Enterprises Inc. for a first-responder drone program totaling $2,168,020, and approved a related budget adjustment of $433,604 from general fund reserves for FY27. The contract, as presented by staff, runs through June 30, 2031.
Councilors pressed department leaders on who would have access to drone video, how long footage would be retained, and safeguards against unauthorized use. Interim Police Chief Ben Valdez told the committee the footage would be city property, would not be shared with third parties without express permission, and that the city maintains audit logs and policies to detect misuse. “The privacy controls are in place. It’s property of the City of Santa Fe, and it would be utilized for our purposes,” Valdez said. He added that footage tied to criminal cases would follow usual retention schedules — roughly one year for misdemeanor-related recordings and longer if connected to felony cases — and that routine non-incident footage could be deleted in about 90 days.
Fire Department staff described operational uses for drones that include rapid fire detection, structural assessment after collapses, search-and-rescue in remote or cold conditions using thermal imaging, and hazardous-material air-quality monitoring. A fire representative said drones had already been dispatched to multiple fires and rescues and helped crews assess water-stream effectiveness and structural collapse risks. The committee also discussed integration with ShotSpotter for shots-fired alerts and FAA coordination; Valdez said pilots will be Part 107 certified and the city will obtain required clearances for airspace operations.
Councilor Castro cast the lone recorded no vote during the roll call; another councilor said they hesitated or voted no because of the program's price tag and the city's tight finances. The motion passed with a majority. The committee asked staff to provide updates on program deployment and use cases after launch.
