Saint Paul City Council delayed their vote on RES 26-1399, a resolution authorizing the Saint Paul Police Department to apply for a Department of Justice grant to fund the expansion of the City’s “Drones as First Responders” program.
The resolution comes one week after the city held a public hearing on the use of police surveillance technology. SPPD stated that they submitted their application prior to seeking the required approval to do so, in order to meet the grant application deadline. During the meeting, SPPD shared that they are seeking to expand their drone program so they can provide drone coverage over the entire city.
Many of the Council Members said they were not given enough time to understand the resolution or ask questions of SPPD about the expansion of the drone program. Without the opportunity for public testimony during the meeting, community members submitted over 30 comments online — nearly all calling on the city to reject the resolution, citing concerns over AI-powered mass surveillance and the use of Skydio drones.