Prior Lake Police Are Looking at a Drone-as-First-Responder Program
Prior Lake PD is evaluating what it would look like to have a drone — not an officer — be the first thing that responds to a 911 call.
Police Chief Mark Duggan brought it up at Tuesday's city council meeting as part of the department's operations update. The concept is called Drone as First Responder, or DFR. A larger drone launches from a remote docking station, flies autonomously to the scene, and starts streaming live video back to officers and dispatchers before anyone actually arrives in person. Think of it as an instant eye in the sky that gives first responders real information about what they're walking into.
Prior Lake isn't the first to look at this. Minnetonka launched the state's first DFR program last August with six Skydio drones stationed on four fire stations, covering the entire city within about two minutes of launch. It costs about $265,000 a year. Brooklyn Park approved a $4.6 million drone technology contract in November after the June 2025 manhunt for a suspect accused of killing a state representative exposed how slow their existing setup was — officers had to physically drive to a scene, unpack a drone, and set it up, costing 3 to 5 critical minutes. Plymouth has also deployed one, and Minneapolis and Duluth have looked into it.
The privacy question is the big one, and Duggan acknowledged it directly — he said DFR comes with technological, privacy, and financial concerns the department is still working through. In cities that have already launched, the safeguards include limiting drones to 911 calls only (no random patrols or surveillance), keeping cameras pointed at the horizon until arrival, logging every flight on a public dashboard, and operating under Minnesota's drone law (Minn. Stat. § 626.19), which governs how law enforcement can use unmanned aerial systems.
The surveillance technology conversation isn't new in the south metro. Lakeville Police recently proposed 20 license plate reader cameras across the city, sparking a similar debate about public safety versus privacy. And the Farmington City Council meeting erupted over speaking limits when residents showed up to weigh in on a controversial proposal — a reminder that these policy decisions tend to bring people out. Prior Lake PD is also dealing with a more immediate public safety concern: Scott County becoming the third deadliest county in the state for traffic deaths, which Chief Dugen addressed at the same meeting.
What's interesting about Prior Lake's approach is that they're not just looking at doing it alone. Dugen mentioned exploring joint powers agreements with other cities so the technology and costs could be shared across the south metro. That could be a big deal for smaller cities in Scott County that can't justify the full expense on their own.
No timeline yet — they're still in the evaluation phase. But this is one to keep an eye on. We'll update you as it moves forward.
