TL;DRStockton approved $3.15M for Flock police drones that respond to 911 calls in 30 seconds. Council voted 7-0 despite major public opposition over surveillance.
Stockton, California, has approved a $3.15 million investment in police drones that can respond to 911 calls in as little as 30 seconds. The city council voted 7-0 to expand its contract with Flock Safety, adding a drone-as-first-responder platform to the automatic licence plate readers the company already supplies. The total contract value now exceeds $5.4 million over five years.
The drones will be stationed across the city and can cover more than 75% of Stockton’s area. They give police eyes on a scene before officers arrive, with response times ranging from 30 seconds to four minutes. “It’ll really enhance what we already have, in that we get quick deployments, real-time updates for officers on scene,” said Police Lt David Padula.
The vote was unanimous. The public opposition was not. More than an hour of testimony focused on privacy, immigration enforcement, and mass surveillance. Residents questioned not just how the drones would be used, but how the data they collect would be stored and shared.
“It sends the wrong message,” said local activist group The Stockton Community Check-In Booth. “While our residents continue to struggle under the financial impacts of this administration and economy, Stockton continues to invest in militarisation and surveillance.”
