GALT, CA (MPG) - Galt’s City Council unanimously approved a $1.5 million Police Department appropriation to upgrade its body and patrol camera technology while purchasing a new pair of Skydio drones to be used as first responders.

The funding for the purchase, which is a renewal of the city’s current contract with technology provider Axon, comes from the city’s General Fund available fund balance. The existing five-year contract was set to expire this July, and the purchase will renew that agreement for another five years.

Galt Police Chief Brian Kalinowski told the council at its May 19 meeting the contract renewal was the result of two years of work by department staff on “concepts” to “reasonably provide” needed upgrades to officer safety and enhance police work. Because it’s a contract renewal, a portion of the expense is already built into the department’s budget, with the entirety of the contract cost being paid up front.

Two key components in the contract are the drones and an upgrade to a new model of in-car cameras: Fleet 3. 

According to the Axon website, Fleet 3 consists of a minimum of two interior-mounted cameras; a panoramic, dashboard mounted camera capable of taking in three lanes of traffic with a second camera facing rearward to the passenger area that provides a knee-to-head view of anyone being transported.

The cameras are capable of live streaming during calls, carry location update capabilities as well as automatic license plate reader (ALPR) functions similar to the city’s Flock cameras installed at various intersections and roadways. The artificial intelligence (AI) software enables officers to upload department policies and case law information and have translation services as well.

The Skydio drones carry a narrow field, telephoto and radiometric thermal camera along with a spotlight and speaker. According to the company’s website, they have a maximum flying speed of 45 miles per hour, flight duration time of 40 minutes and can be airborne in under 40 seconds.

The drones’ capabilities integrate with the department’s body-worn and car camera systems. Camera footage can be recorded and uploaded to the department’s current storage system.

Kalinowski said one drone will be stationed at the Police Department while the other will be located at Cosumnes Fire Department Station 46 on Walnut Avenue. Department research, including talking with other departments such as Elk Grove Police Department who utilize drones as first responders, indicated the approach provided quicker response times to incidents, higher arrest rates and better allocation of resources, such as assistance in finding missing individuals and helping to secure search area perimeters.

“It gives us eyes in the sky,” Kalinowski said. “It gives over watch to the officers when they’re doing different kinds of work or when we need to have a perimeter or something that would traditionally take two, three or four people to hold.”

Galt Police Department Capt. Richard Small elaborated on the latter, noting the department needs a minimum of five officers to safely engage in search: four to hold a perimeter and one to search inside. He said they frequently rely on backup by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, but that can take several minutes before their officers are able to respond.

“We can’t rely on numbers until they start showing up,” Small said, adding once a drone arrives not only can it assist with perimeter duties, but it can also “help us on the ground with things we don’t see.”

Kalinowski acknowledged citizens’ concerns with privacy regarding drones flying overhead. The chief said the drones would only be used as first responders upon receipt of a call for service and would be operated by “non-sworn” department staff.

Drone cameras would be aimed at the horizon during their flight to the incident and only pointed at the ground upon arrival. Drone flying height would be capped at 200 feet, and flight patterns would be posted on the department’s website.

“It is not used on some random patrol of the community,” Kalinowski said. “That in and of itself creates issues in the community if they felt like there was too much of what I would call a ‘Big Brother’ going on in the community.”

Councilmembers also acknowledged the privacy concerns, but noted use of the drones and other aspects of upgraded technology in the Axon contract was not only about officer safety but also the safety and security of the community.

“Safety vs. privacy, there’s a balance,” Councilmember Shawn Farmer said. “Any time you have more eyes on something, it’s more transparency.”

Vice Mayor Tim Reed said he was “100% supportive” of the contract after having seen the drones in action during a demonstration on May 16. Councilmember Paul Sandhu asked why of the 480-plus cities in California only 10 to 12 were using the Skydio system.

At $129,000 annually for the system, Kalinowski said it can get expensive, and some departments are experiencing budget cuts due to economic conditions. He added that Galt has “some extra capacity” with its funding structure, enabling the department to proceed with the Skydio purchase.

Department staff also said camera access and information storage would be restricted to members of the department. As with current information access, security measures will be installed to prevent outside access.