Police Department Eyeing Intelligence Center, Drones

As the Pasadena Police Department seeks to modernize its approach to public safety, the department discussed the addition of an Active Intelligence Center and deploying drones as components of its proposed fiscal year 2026 budget.

The addition of drones drew both supporters and concern.

During the budget workshop at Wednesday’s Public Safety meeting, Police Chief Eugene Harris outlined a $121 million proposal for the department, a 9.4% increase over last year’s budget.

The plan includes expanded technology like automated license plate readers (ALPRs), the AIC and eventually the drones.

“The goal is to have [drones] as a first responder element,” Harris told the Public Safety Committee. “They fly solo, they go over to a scene, they can look at a scene for a call for service and be there within seconds rather than the minutes it takes for us to navigate.”

The drones are part of a broader plan to centralize surveillance and response technologies under the proposed AIC, which would monitor, analyze, and direct resources in real time. While Harris acknowledged drone implementation is still “a little bit further down the road,” he said it is integral to the department’s long-term technological vision.

Supporters of the plan highlighted potential benefits to officer safety and community protection, noting that drones could assist in pursuits or high-risk situations where traditional police response may be dangerous. Drones, they said, can “apprehend suspects without the same level of risk to the officers or the public.”

The drones would operate alongside other digital tools, such as expanded ALPR coverage and integration with the city’s acoustic gunshot detection system, now branded as “Sound Thinking.” Harris said the integration would be critical for locating and apprehending shooters quickly.

Despite the operational advantages, concerns over privacy and oversight surfaced during public comment. Resident Yadi criticized what they saw as a lack of transparency in how new surveillance technologies are introduced to the public.

“It’s no longer acceptable to just purchase and deploy surveillance tech without safeguards or guardrails or assurances that you will uphold our privacy rights as enshrined in the California and U.S. Constitutions,” Yadi said during public comment, likening the approach to “Vanna White being like ‘ta-da’—here’s the new surveillance tech.”

Yadi also raised concerns about whether equipment acquired for events like the 2028 Olympics would remain in use afterward, potentially normalizing heightened surveillance. They cited Department of Justice guidance that real-time crime centers could lead to overly aggressive policing in large-scale event settings.

In response, Chief Harris stressed that the AIC and any related technologies would go through formal review processes, including oversight by the City’s Community Police Oversight Commission (CPOC), Public Safety Committee, and full City Council.

“All of the elements of the AIC and the proposals that we’re going to make will go through the transparency processes,” Harris said.

In addition to drone deployment, the department is seeking federal and state funding to support its technology initiatives, including a discretionary congressional request for the AIC and a recently awarded grant to add 10 more ALPR cameras citywide. When asked whether this expansion would provide full city coverage, department representatives replied, “No—it’s just a start.”

Other updates in the presentation included efforts to increase staffing—currently eight sworn officer vacancies and ten on leave—and a long-term plan to replace aging Bell OH-58 helicopters from the 1970s. The department is also exploring options to rebuild its police range, damaged in the Eaton Fire, and modernize training and equipment infrastructure.