The Merriam Police Department is getting a new drone — despite its current one still working.

In April, the Merriam City Council voted 6-0 to approve a $40,000 expenditure for the police department to buy a new Skydio Drone through Axon Enterprise, a public safety weapon and technology company based out of Arizona. Councilmembers Reuben Cozmyer and Bruce Kaldahl were absent.

This specific drone model also has the capacity for Drone as First Responder duties, similar to programs other cities like Prairie Village and Olathe currently use.

Drone as First Responder allows an operator to deploy the drone to respond quickly to specific calls — like missing children, disaster response and more — before actual police officers. This is “a future operational goal” for the city of Merriam, according to city documents.

Chief Darren McLaughlin told the city council on April 13 that the department’s current drone will still be in use until it is no longer functional.

The purchase brings Merriam in compliance with state, federal laws

McLaughlin told the city council on April 13 that the police department’s current drone, a DJI, is from China, which is a “Country of Concern” under the state’s 2025-adopted Senate Bill 9.

McLaughlin said SB 9 “mirrored a federal law” prohibiting “military and federal law enforcement from buying drone technology from countries of concern.”

Under SB 9, law enforcement cannot purchase drones, drone parts or equipment from countries of concern, McLaughlin said.

Merriam purchased the DJI drone in 2019, McLaughlin said. While it still works, the city can no longer purchase replacement parts to ensure it keeps working, he added.

“Therefore, our drone is only as good as long as we keep the propellers on it and the cameras working and when it hits something, it will be done,” McLaughlin said.

A look at the Skydio drone

McLaughlin said after researching drone models and their capabilities, the police department landed on Axon’s Skydio X10 drone.

It is more technologically advanced than the DJI drone, McLaughlin said, as its range, loiter time and camera functions are all better than the department’s current drone.

The Skydio X10 is also compatible with the Merriam Police Department’s body and in-car cameras, McLaughlin said. Video from the drone will be downloaded into that camera system for evidence. He said.

While this specific drone is capable of Drone as First Responder duties, that is not something the city of Merriam is currently using with the Skydio X10 drone.

How the city paid for the drone

• McLaughlin said the police department requested $40,000 in the 2026 budget for a new drone.
• Additionally, the city council voted 6-0 on April 13 to approve a grant from HeroFundUSA covering 50% of the hardware costs for the drone.
• That amounted to $10,116 toward the purchase of the drone.

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