Arvada City Council Study Session - April 7 2026

The City of Arvada held a City Council Study Session on April 7, 2026, focused primarily on the introduction and implementation of the Arvada Real Time Information Center (Arctic). The session detailed the procurement and deployment of advanced public safety technology, including drone first responder (DFR) systems provided through a contract with Axon and Skydio. The discussion covered the integration of multiple data sources such as city cameras, license plate readers, and police body-worn cameras into a centralized hub to improve situational awareness, emergency response times, and interdepartmental coordination. The contract includes the acquisition of three Skydio X10 drones with a refresh cycle after two and a half years, software for data fusion and analysis, and virtual reality headsets for officers. Funding for the project is incorporated into the police department's budget, supplemented by seizure funds and reimbursements from Jefferson County Schools for school resource officers. The meeting also addressed legal considerations related to aerial surveillance and Fourth Amendment protections, community transparency efforts including public meetings and a transparency portal for drone flights, and plans for phased implementation and ongoing audits of drone usage. The council discussed operational staffing, technology management, and potential future expansions of the system citywide.