Minneapolis, MN City Council Rejection of Skydio Police Drone-as-First-Responder Contract (2026)
Minneapolis, MN · Minneapolis City Council 6-6 deadlock, July 16, 2026, rejecting MPD Skydio drone-as-first-responder contract
On July 16, 2026, the Minneapolis City Council deadlocked 6-6 on a proposed contract with drone maker Skydio for a police drone-as-first-responder (DFR) program, killing the deal. The vote followed a 75-day free trial Skydio provided the Minneapolis Police Department in north Minneapolis. Council opposition centered on Skydio's sales to ICE and to Israel, and on data-leak concerns. The rejection ends, for now, MPD's path to a permanent DFR program, making Minneapolis one of the larger US cities to decline a police drone contract after piloting one.
Technical detail
Minneapolis City Council 6-6 tie vote, July 16, 2026; motion to approve the Skydio DFR contract failed for lack of a majority. Preceded by a 75-day no-cost MPD trial deployment in north Minneapolis. Stated grounds among opposing members: Skydio's contracts with ICE and sales to Israel, and data-security/data-leak concerns. Protective decision (contract rejection) — indexed status 'effective' per dataset convention for operative protective outcomes.
Who is protected: Minneapolis residents — particularly north Minneapolis residents who were subject to the trial deployment — who will not be surveilled by a permanent MPD drone-as-first-responder program under this contract
Who must comply: Minneapolis Police Department (may not proceed with the Skydio DFR contract); City of Minneapolis procurement
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Minneapolis, MN |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Moderate protection |
| Effective date | 2026-07-16 |
| Enacted | 2026-07-16 |
| Citation | Minneapolis City Council 6-6 deadlock, July 16, 2026, rejecting MPD Skydio drone-as-first-responder contract |
| Enforced by | Minneapolis City Council (contract authority) |
| Topics | police and surveillance AI · robotics · consumer data privacy |
| Last verified | 2026-07-19 |
| Official source | Minneapolis City Council rejects police drone contract with Skydio — MPR News ↗ |
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