SPD touts drone and real-time data use; council asks about costs and rules

Chief Henry described the department's investments in a real-time crime information center and an unmanned aircraft/drone program and said the technology has already produced operational wins, including a recent search and rescue. He told the council the center provides officers with pre-call information and that drone pilots help first responders with hazard spotting.

Henry pushed back on surveillance concerns, saying the drone program is not used as continuous public surveillance. "I'll be very clear. It is not surveillance. This is responding, like, dispatch calls and assisting the officers during those calls," he said. Council members asked the department to list ongoing management costs for fleet, licensing and data storage and to identify grant vs. general-fund revenues used to keep the programs running.

SPD agreed to provide a cost breakout that distinguishes one-time grant purchases from recurring operating expenses, plus a summary of policy controls and state rules that govern drone deployments in the city.