Agenda - Council - 09/22/2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

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the framers' ideals and protect the freedoms the Constitution guarantees. He presented the proclamation to a representative of the Anoka Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Ms. June Anderson, representing the Anoka Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, thanked the Council for the proclamation and explained that the DAR is a nonpartisan service organization dedicated to patriotism, preserving American history and heritage, education, and recognizing those who served in the military. She explained that DAR members trace their ancestry to individuals who fought for or supported the American cause during the Revolutionary War. She discussed the Constitution, the structure of the federal government, the rule of law, the Bill of Rights, and freedoms of religion, speech, assembly, protest, and the press. She encouraged citizens to protect those freedoms and referenced Benjamin Franklin's warning that the nation would remain a republic only if its citizens could keep it. 3.02: Anoka County Sheriff's Office Drone Assisted Response and Automated License Plate Reader Pilot Project Sheriff Brad Wise presented Anoka County's Safe County Initiative, a collaborative public -safety program combining Drone Assisted Response with an expanded Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) system. Developed through the Anoka County Joint Law Enforcement Council, the initiative would coordinate the Sheriff's Office and the County's ten municipal police departments while addressing privacy concerns. Under Drone Assisted Response, dispatchers could launch drones when calls are received rather than waiting for officers to arrive, allowing law enforcement and fire personnel to obtain earlier aerial information about an incident. Sheriff Wise explained that ALPR cameras capture still images of vehicles traveling on public roadways and compare license plates with law -enforcement hot lists, assisting with stolen vehicles, criminal investigations, missing children, and vulnerable adults. Sheriff Wise emphasized that Minnesota law places significant restrictions on both technologies, including prohibiting law -enforcement drones from using facial recognition or carrying weapons and limiting the information ALPR systems may collect and how it may be used to track individuals. He acknowledged that privacy concerns are legitimate and emphasized the need to balance effective public -safety tools with safeguards against misuse. The Safe County Initiative would operate as a one-year pilot beginning with the first drone launch, anticipated in December 2026 or January 2027. Participating agencies would report to their communities on uses, outcomes, and problems during the pilot, allowing elected officials, law enforcement, and residents to evaluate whether the program should continue. Police Chief Bluml expressed support for the initiative and indicated that Sheriff Wise had accurately summarized the program. He explained that law enforcement continually evaluates available technologies and costs to determine which tools provide reasonable value and the best service for residents while maintaining community safety. City Council /September 8, 2026 Page 3 of 10