Santa Fe Deploys Drones as First Responders | Santa Fe News

Santa Fe’s new drone-as-first-responder program, funded by a $2.2 million Axon contract, aims to enhance public safety by deploying drones to calls before or instead of police officers, with supporters touting benefits like de-escalation and reduced force. While the mayor calls it a modern, nationwide trend, critics—including a local socialist group—argue it’s being used to harass the unhoused and question the cost, especially after drones were deployed to clear encampments. Police chief assures the public drones aren’t from Flock Safety and highlight uses like missing persons searches and crisis response. Meanwhile, the council also approved $25 million in bond questions for street and park upgrades on the November ballot. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/0fdb67d0e615559e