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Farmers Branch City Council approved a $341,912 contract Tuesday, Dec. 16, to build a real-time crime center at the police department, part of a regional initiative that will make Farmers Branch the first city in Texas to deploy drones as first responders across multiple jurisdictions.
The council unanimously authorized a professional services agreement with AVI Systems Inc., doing business as Forte, to construct the center featuring a massive video display wall that will integrate the city's existing surveillance cameras, license plate readers and other data sources into a single monitoring system.
Police Chief Kevin McCoy said the technology will allow detectives to process multiple information streams simultaneously during active incidents, which "shortens our response time to the call and then reduces the amount of time it takes us to identify a suspect."
The center anchors a drone-as-first-responder program launching in late January or early February. Farmers Branch is partnering with Carrollton to share two drones that can reach crime scenes within 30 to 90 seconds of a 911 call, typically faster than patrol officers. The city plans to expand the partnership to Addison and possibly Coppell.
"We would become the benchmark agency for other agencies to come look at and emulate," McCoy said.
The drones will launch only in response to emergency calls, not conduct proactive surveillance. One will be housed at the Webb Chapel fire station with cooperation from Fire Chief Daniel Latimer.
McCoy said the system extends beyond law enforcement, potentially helping fire crews assess major incidents or public works teams identify infrastructure problems during severe weather without endangering personnel.
"It really has been a collaborative effort across multiple departments," McCoy said.
The city has already hired Detective Todd Burnside, who has intelligence experience from a previous department, to staff the new center. Council Member Roger Neil asked about ongoing costs. McCoy estimated close to $1 million annually and said the department would apply for state Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority grant funding in April to offset expenses.
Randy Smith, an Addison City Council member speaking as a private citizen, commended Farmers Branch for its leadership. "You are a true leader in this entire effort," Smith said. He also praised Police Chief McCoy for touring Addison officials through the new facility as that city considers its own police station improvements.
During Tuesday's study session, the council reviewed a comprehensive maintenance plan for approximately 55 acres of landscaped medians citywide. Parks and Recreation Director Robert Diaz presented the plan, which documents maintenance schedules, seasonal planting protocols and community engagement measures.
The plan emphasizes drought-tolerant plantings similar to those in the city's recent green ribbon submission to the Texas Department of Transportation. Park Planner Tara Bradley said it includes "maintenance frequencies which includes scheduling seasonal planting also inspection and reporting protocols as well for plant health concerns."
The council also received year-end reports from the Planning and Zoning Commission and Parks and Recreation Board.
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