> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.delcorising.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Sheriff Wants a Drone Program, but Council Wants a Policy First - URL: https://www.delcorising.com/news/the-sheriff-wants-a-drone-program-but-council-wants-a-policy-first/ - Published: 2026-10-23T10:30:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T13:35:07.000Z - Description: Vice Chair Reuther drew the line on what a sheriff’s office is actually empowered to do during drone use conversation. Plus a juvenile detention deal in Berks County and an amendment delivered half an hour before the vote. - Author: Nick Giannini - Tags: County, News ### Drone program approved Item 10D approved applying for and accepting a $50,000 grant to establish a Public Safety Drone Program for the Sheriff’s Office. The same item appeared on the Oct 7th agenda and was shelved. At Wednesday’s public meeting it passed inside the consent agenda with no discussion, but the entire conversation happened Tuesday afternoon, at the preliminary meeting. **What the Sheriff’s Office told council** The commitments from their office include only using American made drones and using no weaponry, audio, or facial recognition. Ther ewill be deputies trained with certification. The warrant division captain explained that the indoor drone is for first line duty before deputies enter. A drone can be flown inside to check blind corners, and check stairwells before you put bodies into the building. The typical flight height will be between 100 and 250 feet, with capability up to 400\. Every flight requires supervisory approval and a detailed log and on the footage: “The information is stored directly with the drone. It is not available for anyone else’s use unless it will be court ordered or at the sheriff’s discretion if he wants to share it or any type of legal investigations.” **Council pushed back** Vice Chair Reuther said she’d met with the Sheriff’s Office beforehand and was surprised by what the draft policy actually contained. She claims that the scope went way too far. Her concern was liability. Sheriff’s offices are insured for the powers that are given to them under the county charter and state code. The draft policy lists crowd control, traffic, and establishing “a temporary perimeter for security” among the authorized uses. When Captain Conte described the sheriff’s office as the chief peacekeeper of the county, Reuther cut in to let them know that they are ***NOT*** the chief peacekeeper, but the sheriff. And brought up that we’re a home rule county…where the Sheriff’s Office roles are defined in the charter and under state statutes. They are also not insured that way. Councilwoman Schaefer said she supports the program and the technology, under the condition that the county maintains control. She added that Delaware County has no policy governing drone use on its own property, including the courthouse, and that both documents need to exist before any purchase. Councilwoman Phillips chimed in and suggested that another sheriff might want to enter into a 287 agreement and use it for some other purpose, and she moved to condition the approval on a final policy which would be subject to council approval. After discussion, the amendment was removed in favor of an understanding that council would approve the grant now, and the purchase of the drone comes back to council separately. **What’s in the written record** The memo attached to the item is dated March 30, 2026 and addressed to County Council and county administration. The grant request form is a Senate Democratic Caucus Grant Request Information Form, and the memo describes the funding as “*secured through our legislative partner, Senator John Kane.*” The budget lists $35,000 for a law enforcement drone platform, $10,701 for training, batteries, accessories and safety equipment, $300 for software, and $3,999 for an indoor tactical drone. The memo’s oversight section says the unit “will operate under a formal Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) policy.” Captain Conte confirmed that the policy is still a draft, built from a template written “mainly towards municipalities,” and that it needs to be tightened and made specific to a sheriff’s office. *For context, on Sept 2nd council accepted a $1.45 million Axon drone detection grant over privacy objections from Councilwoman Reuther and Councilwoman Phillips.* ### Regional juvenile detention agreement approved Council unanimously adopted a resolution committing Delaware County to an intergovernmental agreement with Berks, Dauphin, Lackawanna and Lehigh counties for a regional youth detention center at the site of the former Berks County Juvenile Detention Center. The county solicitor explained at Tuesday’s preliminary meeting that the intergovernmental cooperation agreement is what permits Berks County to pursue funding and issue a bond to collectively finance the facility. The other four counties had already passed their resolutions with Delaware County’s as the last one pending. The Board of Managers recommended approval with four commitments: designating a board liaison to the council overlooking the center, a commitment to prevention programming, and transportation for families. An amendment was given to council members less than a half hour before the meeting began at 1pm. Councilwoman Reuther would not support the amendment and said the following: “I do disagree with having to vote on things that I didn’t see until literally I walked in here… I just don’t like getting last minute amendments. So I’m not in favor of the amendment. Not because I’m not in favor of the substance. I’m just not in favor of the process.” The amendment passed, as well as the resolution. Delaware County will hold three votes on the governing board. ### Public comment was all about the $120mil bond referendum About half of the speakers urged a no vote on the Nov 3 green infrastructure referendum. *It’s worth noting that three of the four speakers against the referendum were party operatives or GOP candidates for office. Michael Straw, Delco GOP’s interim Exec Director, Charlie Alexander, GOP candidate for county council in 2027, and Deirdre McCleary, the Republican nominee in the 165th state House district.* David Kronheim of Chester City said the referendum addresses land and water rather than air quality, and cited a $3,000 state fine against the Reworld incinerator for burning radioactive waste, and proposed funding the county health department and continuous pollution monitoring as well. He also disputed the measure’s framing as a check on data center development: “This bond measure was promoted to prevent data centers by buying greenfields. This assumption is flawed. The proposed hyperscale data center in Trainer and Lower Chichester would be built on a brownfield, which would maximize tax breaks for the developer. Hyperscale data centers will be proposed with or without greenfields.” Council members responded to commenters to let them know that the referendum authorizes borrowing over ten years rather than issuing it at once, and that every expenditure over $25k is publicly voted on. ### Members of One PA press on hospital closures Three Chester residents organizing with One Pennsylvania asked council to seek four commitments regarding the former Crozer Chester Medical Center site: transparency on the new hospital’s development, a legally binding agreement requiring the operator to remain at least (10) years, retention of health care zoning on the land, and substantial EMS and trauma services. They also asked that a community member be seated on the decision-making board. Council responded with an account of the 2016 sale of the Crozer Keystone system to Prospect Medical Holdings, describing the company’s leveraging of hospital real estate to fund investor dividends, and said council had worked to keep the facility open. Speaking further on the county’s role, they mentioned that they are not responsible for land development and don’t have any dollars to contribute. ### Elections update Director of Elections Jim Allen told council the county has received about 55,000 mail and absentee ballot applications. He said he expects fewer mail ballots than the last midterm and more in person turnout. He cited the Nov 2025 election, when county turnout reached roughly 49% against a typical municipal turnout which is near 38%. Allen said the county ordered additional in person ballots as a precaution, typically stocking precincts for 92% to 96% turnout. He said the county’s 1,900 poll workers are paid $150 for in person training and $100 for online training, and that a new system requiring them to sign documentation at each precinct produced 100% polling place coverage for the first time in county history. Voter history from the electronic poll books is now loaded the Wednesday after election day. The deadline to apply for a mail in or absentee ballot is Tuesday, Oct 27\. All 27 county drop boxes are open 24 hours a day through 8pm on Nov 3rd. The county’s Voter Service Center on the ground floor of the Government Center is open through election day as well.