The Houston City Council is set to discuss and vote Wednesday on an ordinance that would authorize the city to pursue federal funding for drone technology. The technology is meant to expand aerial oversight and situational awareness at large public events. The ordinance is the city's first step toward a share of Fiscal Year 2027 Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Grant Program funding. The State of Texas handles the application, but the city must first agree to apply.
Larry Satterwhite, director of the Mayor's Office of Public Safety & Homeland Security, told KPRC 2 that the funding would help the city see more and cover more ground at Houston's biggest events. He said Houston's size and event scale make situational awareness a priority. The Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security said law enforcement teams on the ground cannot monitor every angle at large events, and the technology is designed to address that limit.
City officials are also working to set guardrails for how the technology would be used, if the council agrees to apply for the grant, Satterwhite said.