The state-appointed Board of Police Commissioners is set to consider on Wednesday a proposal to deploy six drones throughout the City of St. Louis through a “Drone as First Responder” program, but not everyone at City Hall is on board.
The drones, which would come from Seattle-based BRINC, would be part of a Drones as First Responder unit. In a press release, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said the proposal includes “docking stations strategically placed throughout the North, Central, and South Patrol areas based on crime trends, 911 call volume, response patterns, and operational needs.”
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The SLMPD release said the drones would be “supported through a partnership between the St. Louis Police Foundation and its donors.” In response to an email inquiry, a departmental spokesperson said the foundation would cover the entire program’s costs, which are expected to be about $360,000 annually. (The radar facilitating the system was also covered by the Police Foundation, a spokesman said, and was approved at a cost of $223,000.)
“We’ve looked at other police departments that are using it in a very positive way, that that’s having a very good effect on on crime, responding to scenes, getting situational awareness, helping victims, and also catching suspects,” says Chief Robert Tracy. “I think the biggest thing is getting there quicker, because a drone can go as the crow flies, and our officers sometimes get caught in traffic. I think there’s a lot of good things that can come out of it.”
Tracy acknowledges that the goal would be for the SLMPD to eventually pick up the cost once the program has proven its efficacy. “Certainly, it’s an important piece to for public safety and the way it can be used, I think it’s certainly important enough to get it into our own budget, and that’s certainly where I’d like to be.”
Reaction at City Hall was skeptical of both the program as well as the abrupt nature with which it was announced. “I know that several years ago when there was a private company wanted to fly drones over the Dutchtown neighborhood, there was quite a bit of community pushback,” said Aldermanic President Megan Green, referring to a 2024 effort by a company called SMS Novel to “beta test” drone security for hire in the South City neighborhood.
Green added: “I would encourage them to actually do some public engagement.” She said that under local control, the SLMPD would have had to loop in city leaders before launching a drone program. “They would have needed to come in front of us.”
Demonstrating how little outreach had been done to city officials before the morning’s announcement, Alderman Rasheen Aldridge seemed unaware that the police say they will fund the program entirely with private donations. “This is why they need to come to Budget [Committee] to explain stuff like this …Explain why, if they are out of money, they can spend 200-some thousand to explore a drone program,” he said. “You know, it’s getting to a point with state control that there’s no transparency on nothing.”
Even as alders were getting up to speed on the proposal, in general the mood at 1200 Market was a collective raised eyebrow. “We wake up and never know what they’re going to hit us with,” said Alderwoman Jami Cox Antwi of the state-run board now running the city police.
Michael Browning also said that he wasn’t familiar with the specifics but said that he thinks there should be some type of community discussion.
Drones have become a hot item for municipalities and even neighborhoods in recent months. The St. Charles County Council signed off on a Drones as First Responders program earlier this month. The Hill neighborhood in south St. Louis also began a drone program this spring, one that’s privately funded through its neighborhood and business associations. The programs have been pitched as a way to improve emergency response, with the idea of the drones arriving on the scene before officers can get there.
St. Charles County is also working with BRINC to launch its program. According to its summary of the terms, its contract with BRINC provides “five units, each consisting of a docking platform and drone, with the units provided for free in the first year and then at a cost of $900,000 over the next three years.”
The city’s patron for kickstarting its proposed program, the Police Foundation, relies on private donations to support police in both the city and the county. Previously, that included covering part of Tracy’s compensation package, although it no longer provides that funding.
The Police Board will consider the agenda item at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 27. An agenda packet for the meeting contained a proposal for a “master services and purchasing agreement,” but the proposal did not include any pricing information.
Mayor Cara Spencer has been at odds with the other members of the Police Board, all of whom other than her are appointed by Gov. Mike Kehoe. In a statement yesterday afternoon, her office said, “While the Police Board very briefly touched on this idea during last week’s meeting when discussing a radar system, the mayor has not been included in any other conversations about this proposal. Though this proposal was announced only 24 hours before the next Police Board meeting, it will likely generate significant community interest and concern, and the mayor hopes to learn more about this program, how it would operate, and how it would preserve the community’s right to privacy.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated after publication with revised numbers from the SLMPD on the program’s cost. It was also updated to add comments from Chief Robert Tracy and a statement from Mayor Cara Spencer.
