STOCKTON, Calif. — Stockton leaders have approved millions of dollars in new police technology, including a plan to add drones to emergency response, a move officials say could speed up response times but is raising concerns about surveillance and privacy.
The Stockton City Council unanimously approved a $3.15 million expansion with Flock Safety, adding six drones to the city’s existing network of 120 license plate readers. Officials say the drones will not replace officers but could arrive first, responding to 911 calls within seconds and streaming video back to police before anyone reaches the scene.
“It will be a much, much quicker response than what we currently have. We are looking at realistic response times from 30 seconds, up to about four minutes if they are flying to their maximum range,” said an official with Stockton Police Department during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “With what we are looking at, we will be able to cover well over 75 percent of the city.”…