DATE: September 16, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Police Department
TITLE: APPROVAL FOR THE PURCHASE OF DRONE AS FIRST RESPONDER DRONES FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council approve a five-year contract with Axon Enterprise, Inc. for the purchase of two Skydio Drone as First Responder (DFR) drones in an amount not to exceed $682,556; authorize the purchase utilizing Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract; and authorize the Financial Services Director, or designee, to execute the purchase order. In addition, staff is requesting an additional ongoing annual appropriation increase of $45,833 to the General Fund starting FY 2027-28.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On April 23, 2025, City Council unanimously approved a thirteen-month trial period for the Police Department to begin a DFR program. In August 2025, the Police Department launched the program in the downtown area. Since that time, the Police Department has utilized the services of Flying Lion, Inc., a private contractor, to supplement the department's staffing needs and provide a dedicated visual observer. As part of the FY 2026-27 budget process, City Council approved the expansion of the drone program by authorizing an ongoing annual appropriation of $100,000 to the General Fund.
Since the trial period was approved last year, the Police Department has been operating its DFR program with one drone stationed at City Hall.
Since launching the DFR program in the downtown area, the department has achieved significant results. The drone has responded to approximately 1,300 calls for service and arrived first on scene for 1,039 of those calls. The drone's average on-scene arrival time is 1 minute and 49 seconds, significantly enhancing public safety response times in the area.
Drone operators have resolved 392 calls for service without requiring a patrol officer response, freeing up patrol officers and making them available to respond to other in-progress or priority calls for service. During the trial period, drone operators have directed officers to the locations of suspects who fled the scene before officers arrived, located missing persons, identified unfounded stolen-vehicle reports by locating the reporting party's vehicle, and assisted lifeguards with water rescues.
Upon approval of this contract, the department will expand the DFR program to two drones. The first drone will remain at or near City Hall to respond to calls in the downtown area. The second drone will be stationed in the eastern sector of the City, with the final location to be determined. The police department will continue to use the current drone being used for DFR operations as part of the city’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) fleet.
A dedicated visual observer is no longer needed. The requested drones can be fully operated remotely under the authority granted to the Police Department by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The Police Department will continue to implement the DFR by strictly adhering to established policies and guidelines to ensure transparency and privacy. The Police Department’s Policy and Procedures Manual, section 606, outlines specific Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) policy, including data retention schedules and the prohibited and permissive use of the UAS to address privacy concerns. With the integration of the Skydio drones, the police department will be able to create a portal on the Police Department’s Transparency Page where the public can view the DFR drones’ flight history.
DFR drones only respond to calls for service that a regular patrol officer would respond to or at the request of an officer operating in the course of their lawful duties. Also, DFR drones will not be used for routine patrol or random surveillance activities. As stated in policy, absent a warrant or exigent circumstances, operators shall not intentionally record any location where a person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Examples of this include someone’s residence, yard, or other type of enclosure.
Further, operators shall take reasonable precautions to avoid inadvertently recording areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. Reasonable precautions can include deactivating the drone's camera or turning it away from such areas or persons during DFR operations.
Also, all UAS operations must be conducted in accordance with FAA regulations. FAA regulations include mandatory pilot training, drone registration, operating rules, and safety considerations. Additionally, Policy and Procedure section 321 stipulates that all data and usage must be for official purposes. Specifically, personnel accessing all data, including video data, must have a “Right to Know” and a specific lawful purpose for its use, “Need to Know.” All records retention and releases are directed by section 804, which outlines specific responsibilities and provides public access to records in a manner that is consistent with the California Public Records Act.
This acquisition will increase the Oceanside Police Department’s Unmanned Aerial System inventory by two units, consistent with the requirements of Assembly Bill 481 and the Department’s Military Equipment Use Policy.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Axon Enterprise, Inc. purchase order will be part of a five-year contract in the amount of $682,556. First year costs of $99,224 will be charged to the OPD Investigations account. Recurring costs of $145,833 for each subsequent year (years 2-5) include fees for training, service, and hardware. As part of the FY 2026-27 budget process, City Council approved the expansion of the drone program by authorizing an ongoing annual appropriation of $100,000 to the General Fund. Staff is requesting an additional ongoing annual appropriation increase of $45,833 to the General Fund starting FY 2027-28. It was decided to purchase, rather than lease, the drones since the software and drones are more compatible with the department’s existing technology. This purchase will be made through a competitively solicited Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract (Sourcewell Contract #101223-AXN).
|
Description |
FY 2026-27 Amount |
Account Number and Description |
Available M&O Balance |
|
Axon Enterprise DFR Program |
$ 99,224 |
OPD Investigations 500516101.5704 |
$ 507,917 |
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
The Police and Fire Commission will be advised of this item during its next regular meeting on October 13, 2026.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
The City Attorney has reviewed the referenced documents and approved as to form.
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Prepared by: Nickolas Nunez, Captain
Reviewed by: Taurino Valdovinos, Chief of Police
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit A - Axon Enterprises, Inc. DFR Quote
2. Exhibit B - OPD Policy 606 - Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)
3. Exhibit C - OPD Policy 321 - Information Technology Use
4. Exhibit D - OPD Policy 804 - Records Maintenance and Release
5. Exhibit E - Sourcewell Axon Contract #101223