Whitehall police hope to purchase $49K drone to assist first responders
WHITEHALL, Ohio ( WCMH ) – Whitehall police are seeking city approval to purchase a $49,000 drone to assist first responders.
Chief Mike Crispen said he is optimistic about the idea, adding it could be used to provide fast intel to first responders and dispatchers, help with search and recovery missions, provide surveillance for SWAT missions and help with overhead videography of incidents.
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"Due to the success of other agencies, I am convinced this will be a tremendous asset for the city of Whitehall and provide a safer environment for our officers," Cripsen said.
The second reading of the ordinance took place at a Sept. 17 council meeting but was not discussed further. However, some City Council members voiced concerns at a Sept. 10 committee meeting. Council members asked questions about its functions and logistics and were told these would be answered during a live demonstration.
Councilmembers were also told Crispen would attend the Sept. 17 meeting and be available to answer questions relating to the drone. However, there was no discussion and Crispen told NBC4 he was not present for the portion of the meeting where the drone was mentioned.
The demonstration in question would provide an in-person visual aid to help citizens and city officials understand the potential of a Drone as a First Responder, or DFR. However, council members with questions were told a live demonstration could only take place after entering into the agreement and paying the $49,000 associated cost.
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Whitehall police are considering a partnership with Paladin, a Texas-based company that supplies autonomous drones to assist first responders. The $49,000 price tag accompanies Paladin's "Advanced Package," described as an all-inclusive annual subscription that includes equipment, set-up, training, maintenance and other operating needs.
At the Sept. 10 meeting, Mayor Michael Bivens said the project would be funded by the Law Enforcement Trust Fund, which is designated for forfeited and confiscated money and must be used for public safety and law enforcement purposes. According to the Sept. 10 discussion, this sum is already in the fund.
Citizen comments on the livestream of the Sept. 10 meeting raised concerns about transparency with where the drones would be flown and voiced worries about them invading citizens' privacy. Crispen said he was unable to address these concerns yet, given that the project is still in development and no policies have been established.
"Our eventual policy will incorporate Constitutional rights of privacy," Crispen said. "It is my understanding that everything done on the system is logged."
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Although Houston-based, Paladin has local connections. Founder Divy Shrivastava grew up just north of Columbus and was deeply affected when a friend's house burned down. After speaking with the local fire chief, Shrivastava learned first responders frequently do not have enough information when they arrive on scene due to 911 calls coming from citizens who are not trained to assess scenes. This, along with another fire on his college campus, inspired him to create the company.
Crispen was clear no decisions have been made yet, and shared a sample contract provided to the city by Paladin with NBC4. According to the sample contract, the $49,000 would be an annual billing if they wanted the program to continue. The sample contract states the $49,000 offer expires Oct. 1, and Crispen said signing a contract was necessary to move forward with training, proof of concept and getting Federal Aviation Administration paperwork completed.
"We do not have to pay unless we are satisfied with the product," Crispen said. "That said, it would be helpful if a decision was made by Oct. 1, yes."
The next council committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The agenda has not yet been released, so it is not yet known if the drone will be discussed, but that will be the last scheduled meeting for council before Oct. 1.
