Cincinnati Police Skydio Drone Program Costs Revealed

Cincinnati police are moving toward a future where drones play a key role in daily operations, according to Cincinnati.com The department plans to operate a fleet of twenty two drones by 2033. This is a major shift in how the city approaches aerial support for emergencies and tactical situations.

For many years the Cincinnati Police Department relied on helicopters from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Those aircraft were shared between agencies and were not always available when officers needed an urgent aerial view. Helicopters can provide long range observation and strong tracking abilities, but they come with high costs, large crews, heavy fuel use, and long preparation times. It takes time to get a helicopter off the ground, and every minute counts when a search or pursuit is underway.

Two years ago, the sheriff’s office sold its two helicopters. Each one sold for around 670,000 dollars. The office made that decision because operating the aircraft cost about 400,000 dollars per year in upkeep. That number does not include the original purchase price, fuel costs, or the labor needed to operate them. The office has since moved fully into drone operations.

The city saw the same pattern. A drone can take off almost instantly. One operator can handle the flight. Battery swaps are simple. Launch locations are flexible. This creates a faster response during missing person searches, crime scene surveys, pursuits, and disaster events. With a full drone fleet, Cincinnati officers will have an eye in the sky much more often than in the past.

Helicopters still have some advantages. They can stay in the air longer, fly farther, and carry heavier cameras. But drones are becoming more capable every year. Skydio aircraft in particular are known for their autonomy, obstacle sensing, and automated flight paths. For Cincinnati police, the benefits of rapid launch, lower costs, and flexible deployment outweighed the need to keep a helicopter in service.

Breaking Down the Price Tag

The full drone program is part of a large contract with Axon. This contract includes Tasers, body cameras, cloud storage, training, and other digital systems. It is the single largest technology agreement the city has ever signed for the police department.

The drone portion of that contract totals 4.8 million dollars through 2033. The rest of the Axon package, which includes other equipment and digital tools, brings the full contract to 36.1 million dollars.

Although some specific item prices were redacted at Axon’s request, city officials and The Enquirer confirmed several major cost points. These numbers help paint a clear picture of how the program works and how much each part contributes to the total.

Here are the most important figures.

The full drone program costs 4.8 million dollars through 2033. Each Skydio drone with its dock, training, warranty, and support costs about 62,343 dollars. Cincinnati has nine of these drones now and plans to buy thirteen more.

The Dedrone radar system costs 250,000 dollars per year. This radar scans the sky for flying objects. It helps drone pilots avoid aircraft and is required because Cincinnati police received permission to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

The command center system with cloud services, software, maintenance, and repairs costs 199,890 dollars per year.

Cincinnati police will pay around 450,000 dollars per year for drone system software and maintenance. That amount supports the entire fleet of twenty two drones.

When comparing these numbers to helicopter operations, the difference is clear. The sheriff’s office once paid around 400,000 dollars each year just to keep its helicopters running. That amount did not cover the initial cost of the aircraft, the labor to fly them, or the cost of fuel. Cincinnati police will pay slightly more per year for their drone ecosystem. But that amount supports twenty two aircraft instead of one or two.

The savings become even more obvious when counting the cost of training pilots and handling repairs. Helicopters need highly trained pilots with specialized skills. Drones require FAA certification but do not require flight school. Repairs for helicopters can be extremely expensive and time consuming. Skydio covers most repairs under its warranty. This is a major cost reduction.

What the Program Includes

Cincinnati police have approval from the FAA to fly drones beyond visual line of sight. This is a major capability upgrade. Most police departments must keep drones within sight at all times. Flying beyond sight allows officers to monitor a pursuit from safer distances, search larger areas, and stay above scenes that would be difficult or unsafe for officers on the ground.

The Dedrone radar system makes this possible. The radar identifies aircraft in the area so officers can avoid collisions. This is a required part of the FAA approval. Without it, the department could not use this advanced flight mode.

The drones themselves are Skydio aircraft setup in automated docks. The docks can charge, store, and launch drones with minimal human involvement. Officers can activate flights remotely. Over time this system could allow near instant launches during emergencies. It also supports round the clock readiness.

The warranty has already proved valuable. In November, a hawk struck one of the drones during a flight near Glenway Avenue. The parachute system deployed correctly and the drone floated down to the road. An officer retrieved it. Skydio covers most repair needs in cases like this, keeping costs predictable.

All of these components are bundled into the Axon contract. This structure simplifies billing and support for the department. It also ensures all systems communicate with each other through one central platform.

DroneXL’s Take

Cities across the United States are looking at these same numbers, and the math keeps pointing in one direction. Helicopters cost too much for most police departments to maintain. Drones can cover many of the same tasks with far lower operating costs and much faster setup times. Cincinnati’s move to a fleet of twenty two drones shows how law enforcement is shifting toward tech that is cheaper and easier to use.

This does not end the need for helicopters in rare or extreme cases. But it does show a future where drones will handle most day to day aerial work. With better sensors and better software every year, this trend will only grow.

Photo credit: Skydio, Axon