OCEANSIDE — The City Council unanimously approved the expansion of the Oceanside Police Department’s Drone as a First Responder program during its Sept. 16 meeting.
The approval includes a five-year, $682,556 contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. for autonomous drone docking stations. The program expands on a 13-month pilot that produced significant results, according to OPD Cpt. Nickolas Nunez.
OPD was approved for the pilot program in April 2025, North County Pipeline previously reported. In addition to the Drone as a First Responder (DFR), the program incorporated a Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC).
As part of the expansion, OPD will deploy two Skydio drone-in-a-box docking stations, with one unit at City Hall for western operations and a second unit in eastern Oceanside. The drones have a 1.5-mile radius.
