Minneapolis City Council Rejects Skydio Drone Pilot Program

The Minneapolis City Council rejected a contract with California-based drone company Skydio on Thursday, blocking a proposed "drones as first responders" pilot program. The proposal would have given the Minneapolis Police Department a 75-day free trial of AI-powered drones in north Minneapolis to address emergency response delays caused by staffing shortages. The motion failed in a 6-6 split vote.

Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw and Mayor Jacob Frey supported the deal, arguing the program was necessary to replace DJI drones following a U.S. federal ban on the Chinese company. They claimed that prioritizing geopolitical concerns over local safety would leave residents as "collateral damage."

Opponents, including Council Members Soren Stevenson and Aurin Chowdhury, cited Skydio's sales of technology to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Israeli military. Demonstrators from Women Against Military Madness and the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice gathered at Federal Court Plaza on Wednesday, arguing the program would increase surveillance of Black and brown communities given the police department's history of racial bias. Skydio attempted to mitigate these concerns by stating that non-evidentiary footage is deleted after seven days and drones maintain a horizon-facing orientation until arriving at a scene.