The City Council authorized a five‑year contract with Paladin (vendor name presented in the meeting) for a drone‑management and docking system to integrate the city’s existing DJI drones and expand drone coverage across Roswell.

Police officials said the first‑year cost is larger to fund an extra dock and drone, giving the city a planned total of three docked drones positioned across the city for faster response. “This would give us a total of 3 docks and drones that would be strategically placed throughout the city,” a police representative said; staff described target dock locations at major fire stations and at police department facilities.

Police and fire staff told council the Paladin software is currently the only platform they identified that integrates with their existing DJI fleet, allows live streaming to command staff and a real‑time crime center and supports long‑term evidence storage. Staff said the city could hot‑swap batteries and achieve rapid redeployments during extended incidents.

Councilors pressed for procurement clarity; staff said the purchase would be submitted through the state sole‑source approval portal because Paladin was represented as the only compatible platform identified for the city’s existing drone hardware. Staff also clarified insurance, replacement and lost/damaged‑drone procedures and said the city’s overall per‑incident insurance requirement is at a $2 million level.

Police said staffing the real‑time monitoring function would be part of the implementation plan and that civilian monitor/operator roles could be trained under the department’s FAA rules. The council approved the contract by voice vote; staff said procurement would proceed with sole‑source documentation as required.