Riverside accepts $1 million federal grant for proposed police drone program and real-time information center
The Oct. 20 vote accepted the money, but the Police Department must return to the council for approval to launch the drone program and make purchases.
The Riverside City Council on Oct. 20 accepted a $1 million U.S. Department of Justice grant that the Police Department plans to use for a drone program and a central operations room for its Real-Time Information Center.
The money comes from the Technology and Equipment Program run by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. It was approved on the consent calendar, which passed with Councilmember Cervantes absent, according to draft minutes that are awaiting council approval.
The council also authorized a $1 million budget increase in the city's grants fund to record the award.
The department applied in July and was awarded the grant Sept. 25, according to its staff report. The grant period runs from Jan. 1, 2026, through Jan. 31, 2028.
No local match is required. The report says the projects may need additional money once vendors are selected.
Drones and a central room
The department proposes stationing six drones at three sites around the city to give officers a view from above during emergencies. The report says the projects could help officers respond to crimes, missing-person cases, crashes and natural disasters.
Some of the grant would pay to remodel a portion of the Lincoln Avenue police station to house the information center.
The council approved what was then called a Real-Time Crime Center on July 16, 2024, and authorized buying Axon Enterprise Inc.'s FususONE software. The report says the software pulls live data from existing public safety cameras and other authorized technology into a single access point. Authorized staff now use it at several locations inside the department.
Accepting the grant did not approve the programs. Police plan to brief the council's Safety, Wellness and Youth Committee during November and then ask the full council for permission to proceed and buy equipment, the report says.
The committee's Nov. 18 agenda lists the drone program and the proposed construction of the center.
Other public safety items
The same consent calendar accepted a $100,000 San Manuel Cares grant from the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation for a Fire Department situational awareness and fire safety effort.
The council approved a one-year, $447,658.17 agreement with All Star Fire Equipment Co. of Arcadia for structure firefighting turnout gear. It approved $300,248 for Hangar One Avionics of Carlsbad to maintain police helicopters through June 30, 2027.
It added $255,000 to a toxicology testing agreement with Bio-Tox Laboratories, bringing the total to $755,000.
It also approved an addendum to the city's ambulance agreement with American Medical Response. The agenda says the addendum clarifies exemptions from response-time penalties, timestamp corrections and how response times are calculated.
