Procurement

On September 9, 2026, the St. Paul City Council withdrew resolution RES 26-1399, which would have authorized the police department to apply for a $200,000 federal grant to add three docked drones. Council President Rebecca Noecker said the withdrawal was due to unanswered questions about data storage and flight locations. The legislative file shows 38 written public comments, most opposed. The department had launched three Skydio X10 drones on May 30; on September 7, one located a missing child in a pond. The department had not published the program’s cost.

Chula Vista Police paused a proposal to acquire Flock Safety automated drones, citing cost and privacy concerns. The deal would have cost the city $400,000 in its first year and $700,000 annually thereafter. The department had recommended Flock to the city’s Privacy Protection and Technology Advisory Commission in July. Officials said they are not moving forward with Flock’s automated drones for now and will keep using existing drones until alternatives are evaluated. The existing Drone as a First Responder program costs about $1.2 million per year with sworn officer pilots.

The Minneapolis City Council voted 6-6 to reject a no-cost 75-day drones-as-first-responder pilot with Skydio, Inc. Council Vice President Jamal Osman, a co-sponsor, cast the deciding no vote after learning Skydio supplies equipment to the Israeli military and assists the Department of Homeland Security on immigration enforcement and surveillance. The pilot would have stationed drones at Minneapolis Fire Station 14 to stream video to 911 dispatchers and police officers. Osman said Skydio works with ICE, which he said terrorized his community, and with a genocidal military government. Supporters said the drones could improve public safety.

The Auburn City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 21, 2026, to end a four-year, $120,000 contract with Flock Safety for automated license plate readers posted around the city. Mayor Jimmy Giannettino said the city ‘messed up’ because it never voted to accept a $122,500 state grant that funded the contract. The council also voted to apply for a new LETECH grant, with police chief Matthew Androsko saying the money would go toward replacing drones and radios.

The Metro Nashville Police Department’s ‘Drone as First Responder’ trial program ended Friday, after operating for 30 flight days since May 26. Police spokesperson Brooke Reese confirmed the program ran on a loan basis with Skydio and without a signed contract. Councilmember Emily Benedict said the rollout involved ‘irregular timelines and murky legal footing,’ and that ‘It’s not right that taxpayer dollars are being handled this loosely.’ New legislation, BL2026-1498, would narrow the ‘temporary basis’ exemption that let the program launch without council vote, limiting such deployments to 30 days unless approved by resolution after a public hearing.

The Minneapolis City Council deadlocked 6-6 on a proposal to contract with Skydio Inc. for a ‘drones as first responders’ program. The program failed to advance, meaning the city will not move forward with Skydio as the vendor. Residents and activists raised concerns about privacy and Skydio’s ties to the Israeli military. Council Member Jamal Osman said he supported the program but couldn’t support Skydio and urged officials to return with a different vendor.

On March 31, 2026 the Denver City Council voted 7-6 to approve a one-year, $150,000 contract with Axon for 50 fixed license plate reader cameras, hours after Flock Safety finished removing its more than 100 cameras from city streets. The council president broke a 6-6 tie. Denver had ended its Flock contract after public backlash over privacy and revelations that the company could share data with federal immigration authorities. Opponents on the council argued the vote came before the city’s surveillance task force had written guardrails. Axon had severed its API integration with Flock on July 24, 2025. In July 2026 Douglas County approved a nearly $22.8 million Axon package replacing its 50 Flock cameras with 100 Axon Outpost cameras plus drones.

On March 3, 2026, the El Paso City Council had on its agenda File 26-0314, a discussion and action item directing the city manager to refrain from renewing existing agreements or entering new agreements with Flock Group Inc., operating as Flock Safety, for automated license plate recognition technology, and to refrain from using future grant awards or city funds for similar technology. The item excludes user-operated handheld or vehicle-mounted license plate readers for parking enforcement.

Coralville City Council voted 3-1 on February 24, 2026 to terminate the city’s contract with Flock Safety for two Automated License Plate Readers and rescind its policy on their use. The contract, valued at $36,000 over two years, had been approved as part of the fiscal year 2026 budget. The termination follows months of public opposition and an inquiry from the Iowa Attorney General’s Office regarding policy compliance with immigration enforcement laws. City Administrator Kelly Hayworth said the readers will be removed within days.

In a 4-3 vote, the Portland City Council rejected a $45,000 police drone program. The proposal would have used drones for missing person searches, standoffs, and crime scene reconstructions, with search warrants required for private property and no facial recognition. Residents cited privacy and cost concerns. Police can still borrow drones from neighboring departments. The proposal will be reconsidered in December.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement began a contract worth up to $9.2 million with Clearview AI for facial recognition on Sept. 5, days before launching its ‘Midway Blitz’ enforcement operation in the Chicago area. Illinois law enforcement agencies are barred from using Clearview because of a BIPA settlement, but the ban does not apply to federal agencies. The contract is the largest among nearly $10 million in federal contracts with Clearview, which also include deals with the FBI, U.S. Marshals, Army, and Customs and Border Protection. No federal law governs the technology’s use.

On April 8, 2025, the Scarsdale Village Board approved a $2.1 million contract with Flock Safety for automated license plate readers, live-view surveillance cameras and drone-as-first-responder technology, without public notice. Communications obtained by Drop Site News showed village contact with Flock dating to January 15, 2025. Residents began appearing at the April 22 board meeting, and a petition signed by 449 residents urged the board to pause the project and hold public forums. The village was notified in early July that its grant application for the project had been denied. On August 4 the police chief submitted a memo recommending against proceeding given the lack of federal funding, and the village cancelled the contract on August 6.

On May 5, 2025, the Denver City Council voted down a two-year, $666,000 contract extension with Flock Safety. All council members present voted no, citing concern the cameras could be used for federal immigration enforcement. Mayor Mike Johnston’s office had asked the council to reject the proposal. The city said it would keep the camera system operating while it created a task force. The system photographed about 2 million license plates per month.

The Syracuse Common Council withdrew three drone-related expenditures from its agenda on March 19, 2025, after the police department failed to provide a governing policy. The items included two Axon contract renewals for software on existing SWAT drones and a new drone-as-first-responder program with Axon. Councilors said the department did not answer detailed questions during a Public Safety Committee meeting. The council previously approved $250,000 in November for the drone program. The council removed the items without voting, citing a lack of transparency and information.

On February 27, 2025, the Savannah City Council considered authorizing the city manager to rescind the award for a Real-Time Crime Center Public Safety Platform from Fusus Corporation and re-award to Axon Enterprise, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $150,000. The original award to Fusus was made on July 27, 2023. Fusus was bought by Axon. The platform would unify Savannah Police Department data and operations, provide real-time access to over 1,000 cameras, integrate ALPRs, Flock, and Shotspotter applications, and create a voluntary community camera registry. The purchase is sole source from Axon.

The Metro Nashville Police Department entered a $175,000 sole source contract with Fusus on September 15, 2022, below the $250,000 threshold requiring council approval. Resolution RS2023-2380, aimed at amending the contract to $350,000 and extending it 12 months, was deferred indefinitely in subcommittees before the August 15, 2023 council meeting. The original contract expired on September 14, 2023. The report notes it is unclear what will happen to existing Fusus technology now that the contract has lapsed.

Montgomery County, Maryland police requested $350,000 for a “Drone as First Responder” pilot program to send drones to certain 911 calls. At a September 12, 2023 community meeting in Wheaton, Capt. Jason Cokinos said the department faces a staffing crisis and needs technology to improve response times. Drones would be placed in Wheaton and Silver Spring, each covering up to a 3-mile radius, with pilots in Rockville. The department already has FAA permission to search for missing people and will seek permission to operate at 400 feet. Cokinos said drones will not use facial recognition or audio intercepts. Council member Natali Fani-González supports the program, citing a crime crisis in Wheaton.

On April 14, 2023 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Axon could bring its constitutional challenge to the Federal Trade Commission’s structure in federal district court rather than first going through the FTC’s own administrative process. The dispute began after Axon acquired rival body-camera maker Vievu in 2018. The FTC began an antitrust investigation into the acquisition. Axon sued, arguing the proceeding violated its due-process rights and that the FTC’s structure improperly insulated it from the president. A district court had dismissed the case on jurisdictional grounds. On October 9, 2023 the FTC dismissed its antitrust complaint against Axon.

On June 13, 2022, Norton City Council rejected a proposal to purchase 15 Flock Safety license-plate readers for $80,250. Council member Charlotte Whipkey voted against the system, stating ‘There’s no laws governing this.’ The proposal had been sought by Police Chief John Dalessandro.

On December 22, 2021, New Hanover County Chief Financial Officer Lisa Wurtzbacher told commissioners that the sole-source contract with Flock Safety for license plate recognition cameras would not proceed. The county had approved the award on December 6, but later learned that Axon had a minority investment in Flock and that other vendors could integrate with Axon’s evidence.com. Wurtzbacher said the county would ‘change direction with this sole source contract and, instead, pursue bidding this service out.’ The contract was never signed.

The Hayward City Council postponed a vote on the police department’s proposal to purchase four drones. City staff pulled the item after discussion about public vetting and privacy policy. Councilmember Al Mendall said the public should comment on managing such technologies. The police department estimated the initial cost of the drones and up to eight operating licenses at up to $50,000. The department had sought the drones for more than a year; a council infrastructure committee had recommended approval in October 2019 but urged more public discussion. The Alameda County Sheriff’s Department has used drones for five years; Union City and Newark also have drone programs.

Brookhaven, Georgia, approved funding for the Brookhaven Police Department’s UAS unit, making it the first city in the Southeast to adopt a drone first-responder program. The unit will consist of four drones deployed to witness crimes, document scenes, and provide aerial views. The program costs $83,700 in its first year plus $22,600 annually, funded by coronavirus relief funds. Police estimate drone response costs about 10% of dispatching an officer and patrol vehicle. Drones stream HD video to the department’s crime center and have thermal imaging. The department will develop policy preventing intentional recording where privacy is expected.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office lost $500,000 in state funding to expand its Real Time Crime Center into a Fusion Center. Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed more than $1 billion from Florida’s $93.2 billion budget due to COVID-19 impacts. The original request was $5 million; the Legislature had approved $500,000 for the project. The funding would have supported software integration, hardware, and renovations. Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony had touted the center as a step forward in protecting the community. The RTCC provides real-time monitoring of schools and buildings.

Chula Vista Police expanded its Drone as First Responder program, adding a second launch site atop Bayview Behavioral Health Hospital. The addition extends drone coverage to the 17 square miles of the city west of Interstate 805, an area responsible for 70 percent of 911 calls. Since the program launched in October 2017, drones have been dispatched 1,509 times and assisted in 224 arrests. The department said expanding coverage citywide would cost about $600,000, but no funding source has been identified. Officials cited privacy measures, including a publicly accessible website tracking drone flight paths.

The New York Police Department recalled nearly 3,000 Vievu LE-5 body cameras after one exploded on a Staten Island officer. Deputy Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the department would stop deploying the model, citing officer safety. The recall came two years into a $6.4 million contract with Axon, the device maker’s parent company. The NYPD hired an independent forensics investigator and explored replacement options, including the LE-4 and Axon Body Camera 2.

In February 2018, the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department purchased seven annual Dataminr licenses at a cost of almost $48,000, using State Homeland Security Grant program funds from the Department of Homeland Security. Six licenses went to the D.C. fusion center, and MPD had access to unlimited licenses for the first year, provided to the department’s Command Information Center.

Montgomery County, Virginia, suspended its police body camera program in November 2017 after three years of technical failures. Chief Deputy Sheriff Brad St. Clair said the cameras misidentified footage, recorded from accidental button presses, and interfered with in-car cameras. The department spent $33,000 on the cameras and is discussing reimbursement with vendor L3 Mobile Vision.