Oakland County To Vote on $2.5m Drone Program for 911 Response

The Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to approve a nine-month trial that would send drones to help the Sheriff's Office answer 911 calls. "Project Prove It" is a partnership with Flock Safety. It costs nothing for nine months, then $2.5 million across two years if continued.

Flock's drones will assist deputies during emergencies. The company operates license plate reader cameras throughout metro Detroit.

Privacy worries have surfaced among residents. Data storage raises questions, too. Justine Galbraith lives in the county. She opposes the plan. "I don't love the idea of drones. It feels very surveillance state to me," Galbraith said per ClickOnDetroit.

County agenda documents revealed something important. Flock will own all rights to data input into its services. The company can create and sell public indexes, analysis, or insights from such data.

Flock Safety sent a statement addressing security questions. All video and flight data are encrypted in transit and at rest. Access is limited to authorized personnel at the Sheriff's Office. All access is logged and auditable.

The statement said drones arrive on scene in about 90 seconds. The system lets departments assess incidents, track suspects without vehicle pursuits, search for missing persons, and provide real-time intelligence.

Steve Huber from the Sheriff's Office said the department has used drones as first responders for over four years. "Drones are most often utilized for search and rescue being deployed multiple times per week looking for lost children or people in a mental health crisis," Huber said.

The office maintains a transparency dashboard. Every flight is listed, including what the call was for and the route taken. The camera must be turned up toward the sky as the drone returns to base after completing a call.