Readers are sharing with us their letters to Salem city leaders outlining their concerns about the planned Drones as First Responders program. To inspire your letter-writing, we will publish letters from readers who give us permission to share them. Please forward us your letters if you'd like us to publish them here.
Don't forget to send your emails asap! The vote on the FY27 budget is expected to take place tonight.
NSP Staff Writer
Alex Brumfield
Dear City Council and Mayor,
I'm a Salem resident and member of the Human Rights Coalition. I'm writing to express my concern regarding the FY27 budget being voted on at tonight's city council meeting. Specifically, I'd like to discuss the Drones as First Responders item in the Police Budget, which Chief Miller recently presented to the Committee on Administration and Finance.
For this program, Chief Miller plans to purchase several additional police drones. His vision is for these drones to be automated by a button at the dispatcher's desk. When a call comes in, the dispatcher can simply press a button, and a drone will go to the GPS coordinates of the call. I am aware that the Salem police have been using drones in a limited capacity for years, but this will mark a significant increase in their use; we will regularly see drones flying in our city.
Our country is in a period of extreme federal overreach using surveillance technology powered by artificial intelligence, and it has inflicted terror on our immigrant and marginalized neighbors that we all should be aware of. A national conversation is growing around data privacy protections in the face of consolidated tech power. We owe it to our immigrant communities, as good neighbors and as private citizens, to give measures like this far more consideration than you have allowed.
While Chief Miller claimed that this technology would not be used in an invasive manner, I am not comfortable merely taking him at his word. He claims that the drones cannot go anywhere that the police could not go without a warrant, but the community has no assurances of that. To my knowledge, Chief Miller has not provided the council or the public with proposed usage parameters for these drones, nor has the Salem PD prepared an impact report detailing the environmental and privacy effects these drones will have, nor is there a clear mechanism for the city council or any other city government body to conduct oversight of this program. It may not be required by law, but in this day and age, it feels like a minimum acceptable standard.
In the spirit of that national conversation, I ask that you place yourself in the shoes of an October tourist - who cannot be reasonably expected to be aware of this policy - who might not be comfortable with the environment we are creating with this new program that remains wholly opaque as to its scope.
This may be a budget line item, but this deserves far more consideration than it is being given. Before the City Council passes any significant new ordinances, the public and key stakeholders typically have the opportunity to speak about the impact of a proposal. We recently saw this process used in the case of Councilor Davis’s Living Wage ordinance proposal. This lends our city a more democratic process and results in better policies, and I am troubled that this seems to be deliberately avoided here.
I urge you to reject the FY27 budget tonight unless the Drones as First Responders program is removed. Opting not to do so risks undermining public trust in our city government and our law enforcement. The public deserves due time to voice their concerns on this program and offer solutions before it is hastily adopted.
Laurie LaChapelle
I am writing to express my concern about the inclusion of funding for more drones in the FY2027 budget of the police department. I understand that Salem Police use drones now, but I see no data demonstrating the need for additional drones. I see no reason, such as an increase in crime, to justify additional surveillance of this nature, but given the increasing overreach of Federal government law enforcement agencies, it is easy to anticipate how data gathered by drones could become an inadvertent weapon against residents of the city.
A program of this nature requires additional evaluation and discussion within the community so that an informed decision may be made on the matter. I respectfully request that you do not pass this proposed budget unless this drone provision is removed.
Jeremy Mele
Hello,
I am writing to express my discomfort with the proposed "Drones as First Responder Program," which is scheduled to be voted upon with a bundle of other budget items at tomorrow's City Council meeting.
I believe that drones have no place in our city, especially as a tool of law enforcement. Aerial surveillance is a chilling idea. Even if the drones do not begin recording until they reach their destination, as has been suggested by the program's proponent, Salem Police Chief Miller, the mere sight of them, and the potential that they could be recording, is enough to frighten vulnerable communities and leave all Salem residents with the fear that we are being watched.
It is my ultimate hope that this program is not put into place. However, at minimum, there should be substantial, substantive public debate around this issue. So far, the program has only been briefly touched upon during a subcommittee meeting. I think much more public notice should be given, and much more public approval sought, before such a plan can be put into effect, if at all.
I understand that the City Council lacks the ability to provide line item vetoes on the city budget. However, I also know that the Mayor has the power to withdraw items should they be impediments to the passage of a budget. I humbly request that the City Council refuse to pass the budget until the Mayor removes the Drones program, at least until such a time that it receives public comment and support.
I especially urge Councilors-at-Large Davis, Hapworth, Merkl, and Prosniewski and Ward 3 Councilor Sydoriak to reject the budget as it stands. As your constituent, you represent me on the City Council. This Ward 3 resident does not want drones flying over the Salem skies.
Thank you for your time.
Olga Merchan
Dear Salem City Councilors,
I urge you to reject the FY27 budget unless the proposed Drones as First Responder program is removed. This initiative warrants more thorough evaluation and public discussion before it is approved.
Please do not rush to adopt this program without first engaging the community and carefully assessing its costs, benefits, and potential impact. Taking the time to ensure transparency and informed decision-making will lead to better outcomes for everyone.
Thank you for your time and careful consideration of this important matter.
Flora Tonthat
Dear City Council,
I’m in complete agreement with all the concerning points of this North Shore Progressives letter. I’m also surprised at the lack of public engagement. Why was this topic not discussed or presented with Q&A at NIAC meetings? I don’t think enough of the down sides of automated drones have been discussed.
As a member of the BIPOC community, it is deeply troubling that there was not more engagement of this important topic with our communities.
It has also dawned on me that the process of getting this Drone program to a Council vote and the process of the City Seal is night and day.
Given the recent intense public engagement, dialogues, deliberations, presentations, historical contextualization, social media debates, Salem News articles, editorials submitted by numerous residents, etc. on Salem’s City Seal—with a Task Force no less—we have yet to have anything put in front of Council. Why?
In stark contrast, one brief Q&A in a sub-committee with Chief Miller and this significant Drone program that potentially affects every resident, goes directly to Council in less than a month for a vote. Something is dreadfully wrong with this picture.
The City Seal does not have the potential to infringe on every resident’s privacy but it negatively affects a very small population of residents. Yet the public engagement process took about 6 months, 1000 times more than what was given to the Drone program. Please let that sink in for a moment. Thank you.
James R. Willis Jr., Esq.
Dear Councillors,
I am writing regarding the proposed Drones as First Responder program included within the FY27 proposed police department budget. I am concerned that this expansion of drone use in Salem is occurring without 1) public input, and 2) clear policies and procedures promulgated by the SPD relative to how they are used, how privacy is protected, and how data is stored and used. While I understand that this is a last minute email and that the Council lacks line item veto power, I would hope that you exercise your oversight power and review this program carefully if this item moves forward in next year's budget. Thank you.
