Lakeway City Council discussed the city potentially utilizing Brinc police drones at an August 3 council meeting.
The overview
Brinc Drones were designed to support “enhanced de-escalation” in scenarios where traditional police presence may add increased safety risks, or when patrol units were not able to evaluate an emergency situation fast enough, said Don Redmond, vice president of advanced public safety projects at Brinc.
The drones allow a remote pilot to be a first responder, documenting potentially dangerous situations, providing emergency medical supplies and providing search and rescue support, Redmond said.
“It’s not a replacement of police officers, but in a time where we’re struggling to get staffing and everything, being able to send a drone out and clear a call for service without having to send an officer or fire department out there ... it’s the ability to have better resource management for your organization,” Redmond said.
Lakeway Police Chief Glen Koen said staffing for the Lakeway Police Department would remain the same with the addition of the drones, as designated pilots within the staff would be responsible for flying the drones.
The details
Based on a study in Chula Vista, California, in 25% of drone deployments, ground units were not needed. The drones also responded to scenes 40% faster than patrol units, Redmond said.
Some drawbacks of the drones were also noted.
Wind and harsh weather conditions can make it difficult to fly and properly dock the drones, Redmond said.
“The achilles heel of the drones is the wind,” he said.
In order to address privacy concerns, the drones will be equipped with red and blue lights and the police department’s logo to allow citizens to identify the drone as a public safety device, Redmond said.
Diving deeper
Texas police departments in areas with a population greater than 150,000 are now required to release drone deployment records directly to the public after Senate Bill 2569 was passed in 2025.
Formerly, police departments were only required to provide records of drone usage directly to the governor, lieutenant governor and Texas Legislature, according to the bill analysis.
Although Lakeway’s population is less than the amount required in SB 2569 for public reporting, many agencies choose to make the Brinc drone deployment records public to promote transparency, Redmond said.
What’s next
Council will continue discussing the drone program to determine if implementing the drones fits within the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget.
