Three drones will soon be added to the Waterford Township Police Department, after the township's board of trustees approved a new three-year contract.
Over the course of the next three years, the department has agreed to pay more than $400,000 to Flock Safety to use their Aerodome drones, which will work hand-in-hand with automated license plate readers already used by the department and software used by the department's 911-Emergency Operations Center.
That money for Year 1 of the contract — $100,000 in base payment and an additional $10,000 for potential electrical issues and additional expenses — will be part of this year's police budget, adopted by the Board of Trustees in this week's meeting. The board intends to make budget adjustments in the two following years ($150,000 each year) to pay for the drones.
"With this increased response capability, we increase our presence without adding the costs that go along with hiring more Police Officers," the chief said in a document proposing the drones made available to the publuc after the meeting. "Remember, never in place of, but in addition to, to enhance our overall capabilities. Each time a drone responds to a call for service, it's a unit, or additional units at the scene. When we are able to clear calls without sending ground units, those units are free to respond to, or remain available for other emergency calls."
It is not clear at this time when the drones will be put into use by the police department.
