Sterling Heights Brings Axon-Skydio DFR Program to Detroit Metro, Funded Entirely by Federal Forfeiture

The photo shows a Skydio drone hovering over a dock outside the Sterling Heights Police Department. It’s a familiar sight in 2026, but not in Michigan, where automated drone response has been slow to take hold despite the state’s heavy investment in drone infrastructure. That changes this spring when Sterling Heights becomes one of the first municipalities in the Detroit metro area to launch a full Drone as First Responder program.

The development: Sterling Heights City Council approved contracts for a DFR program using Skydio drones integrated with Axon Enterprise’s public safety ecosystem. The five-year contract totals $678,822, plus $13,500 for electrical infrastructure.

The funding model: The entire program is funded through federal forfeiture funds, meaning no impact on local taxpayers. Mayor Michael Taylor emphasized this in a press release.

The timeline: Operational this spring, following installation, system testing, and required state and federal approvals.

Sterling Heights positions itself as a regional first-mover

Sterling Heights is a Macomb County suburb of approximately 134,000 residents, making it the fourth-largest city in Michigan. The city has approved a five-year contract with Scottsdale, Arizona-based Axon Enterprise, Inc. for $678,822 covering the purchase, installation, and maintenance of a DFR program. A separate $13,500 contract with Mount Clemens-based Labelle Electrical Contractors, LLC covers electrical infrastructure for the drone docking stations.

Three drone docking stations will be installed at municipal facilities across the city’s north, central, and south areas. This strategic placement mirrors the approach we’ve seen in successful DFR deployments from Minnetonka, Minnesota to Concord, California, maximizing coverage while minimizing response time.

Sterling Heights Police Cpt. Mario Bastianelli told The Detroit News that the program will give first responders “eyes in the sky” during emergencies, missing person searches, and other critical incidents.

“As Sterling Heights, we always try to be at the forefront of everything, specifically law enforcement,” Bastianelli said. “And times are changing, and technology is a big part of what we do now. This … just happens to be another tool in the toolbox to be able to provide a great service to our community.”

The operational model follows proven DFR patterns

Sterling Heights will operate its DFR program using a centralized control model. An officer at a computer inside the police station will fly the drone remotely, with the aircraft arriving on scene in seconds or under a minute, depending on the call location.

The device will provide the police department an “overlook of what’s going on” at a location, which helps commanders “send the best resources to that location for whatever that incident is,” Bastianelli said.

Use cases include missing persons searches (Bastianelli cited city parks and the annual Sterlingfest event as examples), emergency response, and general situational awareness.

“The drone can go up high,” Bastianelli said. “It doesn’t have any obstructions around it. It can fly and give us a broad view of an area. So … we can cover a lot of ground quickly, and help us be able to locate somebody.”

This operational philosophy aligns with what we’ve documented in over 6,000 police drone programs nationwide. The drone replaces guesswork, not officers. It gives responders better information before they arrive, which can de-escalate situations and improve safety for everyone involved.

The cost comparison reveals regional pricing realities

Sterling Heights’ $678,822 five-year contract works out to approximately $135,764 per year. That’s remarkably cost-efficient compared to other recent Axon-Skydio DFR deployments we’ve tracked:

The federal forfeiture funding model is worth noting. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota drew from its general fund for its $4.6 million expansion. Victorville, California used state COPS program funds. Las Vegas Metro mixed private foundation money with undisclosed public funds. Sterling Heights’ approach, using asset forfeiture funds that would otherwise sit in federal coffers, is a creative solution that avoids the budget debates that have stalled or killed DFR programs elsewhere.

Mayor Michael Taylor framed the program as reflecting the city’s commitment to “innovation, collaboration, and fiscal responsibility.”

“By responsibly using modern technology, we can improve response times, strengthen coordination across departments, and better protect our residents and first responders,” Taylor said. “This program is fully funded through federal forfeiture funds, allowing us to enhance public safety without impacting local taxpayers.”

Michigan’s slow DFR adoption leaves room for expansion

Michigan has been active in drone law enforcement, but mostly through manual deployments rather than automated DFR infrastructure. We’ve covered Michigan State Police using a drone to deliver a beverage during a bank hostage standoff in Saginaw Township, and the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Department deploying thermal drones to locate fleeing suspects. Individual departments from Flushing Township to Kalamazoo operate drone programs.

But dock-based autonomous DFR, where drones launch automatically from fixed positions and fly themselves to incident locations, has been largely absent from Michigan until now. Sterling Heights’ program changes that, and given the city’s position in the Detroit metro area, it could serve as a proof-of-concept for neighboring jurisdictions.

The Axon-Skydio partnership, announced in June 2024, has become the default platform for American DFR programs seeking Blue sUAS-compliant solutions. The partnership combines Skydio’s autonomous drone technology with Axon’s evidence management and real-time operations infrastructure, including integration with body cameras and in-car systems that many departments already use.

DroneXL’s Take

Sterling Heights is making a smart bet. The $678,822 price tag is reasonable for a three-dock Skydio DFR system, especially compared to the eye-watering contracts we’ve seen in states like Florida where DJI bans have inflated costs. Federal forfeiture funding sidesteps the political debates that have derailed programs in Portland, Maine and Syracuse, New York. And the spring operational timeline suggests they’re moving deliberately rather than rushing to a ribbon-cutting.

What I’ll be watching: whether neighboring Macomb County municipalities follow suit. Sterling Heights is large enough to justify standalone infrastructure, but smaller cities in the Detroit metro might benefit from shared services or regional contracts. The contract city model that Victorville pioneered with San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department could work here.

The DFR boom we’ve documented throughout 2025 shows no signs of slowing. Programs like Grand Chute, Wisconsin prove that even modified DJI drones can run effective dock-based operations. But for departments seeking to avoid the political headaches of Chinese-made equipment, Axon-Skydio remains the path of least resistance. Sterling Heights is betting that path leads to better policing. This spring, we’ll find out if they’re right.

Editorial Note: This article was researched and drafted with the assistance of AI to ensure technical accuracy and archive retrieval. All insights, industry analysis, and perspectives were provided exclusively by Haye Kesteloo and our other DroneXL authors, editors, and YouTube partners to ensure the “Human-First” perspective our readers expect.