Common Council authorizes city agreement with Axon Enterprise
The Syracuse City Common Council authorized an agreement with Axon Enterprises, Inc. The agreement is to provide the Syracuse Police Department with modern drone technology aimed to help the city investigate lower priority reports. Solange Jain | Photo Editor
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UPDATE: This post was updated at 1:27 a.m. on April 19, 2025.
After the Syracuse City Common Council authorized an agreement with Axon Enterprise Inc., the Syracuse Police Department will now be able to use mobile video streaming for drones used in SWAT operations. The agreement, passed at the council’s Monday meeting, provides SPD with licensing and software for Axon Mobile Streaming and Tracking.
The agreement comes after SPD representatives met with the council’s Public Safety Committee Wednesday to discuss implementing drone use in its policing strategy, including how to protect residents while piloting the program.
At Wednesday’s meeting, SPD Deputy Chief Richard Shoff said drones would help the department reduce response times and limit the need for officers to respond in person to lower-priority calls, like noise complaints.
Under the new agreement, Axon MSAT will provide SPD members with a live view of SWAT operations while they are happening, according to the council’s meeting agenda.
The council also renewed an Axon Air subscription with Axon Enterprises, which allows SPD to stream the flights of most unmanned aircraft systems, automatically track their hours, notify the department when maintenance is required and capture data from each flight. Data includes the path, duration and elevation of drones’ flights.
The city of Syracuse first established guidelines for unmanned aircraft system usage in 2020, in compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Other business:
- The council approved honorary street signs at the intersections of Irving Avenue and East Adams Street, and Irving Avenue and Madison Street, to recognize B. Thomas Golisano. A placement ceremony for the signs will be held on June 3.
- The council amended an agreement with OnPoint College to provide administrative oversight for therapy services to 50 high-risk city residents on behalf of the Mayor’s Office to Reduce Gun Violence.
