Conroe PD Purchases Skydio X10 Drones with Seized Criminal Assets to Launch DFR Program

Conroe PD Purchases Skydio X10 Drones with Seized Criminal Assets to Launch DFR Program

The Conroe Police Department in Texas has officially launched a Drone as First Responder (DFR) program this week, with all costs covered entirely by assets seized from criminals—without spending a single dollar of taxpayer money.

Chief Jon Buckholtz announced the program at a press conference, confirming that Conroe City Council authorized the purchase of two Skydio X10 drones and two landing pads in December 2025 using asset forfeiture funds. "We're using money seized from criminals to fight crime," Buckholtz stated.

Conroe joins a growing number of U.S. law enforcement agencies deploying rooftop-docked autonomous response systems, and is one of the few to finance such a program without drawing on general tax revenues. The initial deployment runs as a one-year pilot, with any expansion contingent on performance data.

Asset Forfeiture Funding Sidesteps Budget Debate

The funding mechanism is grounded in Texas civil asset forfeiture law, which allows law enforcement agencies to retain cash, vehicles, and property seized during criminal investigations following court approval. Conroe directed those funds toward equipment acquisition—expenditures that would otherwise compete with patrol vehicles or training budgets.

In December, Conroe City Council authorized the purchase of two Skydio X10 drones and two docking stations from the forfeiture fund pool. The exact dollar amount was not disclosed at the press conference.

This funding model sidesteps political friction. In tight municipal budgets, departments proposing new surveillance hardware often face pushback from council members and residents. Forfeiture funds bypass that debate—the money was never destined for public services and is earmarked for law enforcement use. Conroe chose autonomous drones over other options.

Texas's civil asset forfeiture system has long drawn criticism, with opponents challenging the legality of seizing property without a criminal conviction. By directing the funds toward equipment rather than operational spending, Conroe has largely avoided that controversy.

Response Time Data That Conroe Cares About

Conroe's current average response time for high-priority emergency calls is four minutes and twenty-one seconds. Lead pilot Nathan Crenshaw noted that a Skydio X10 launching from the rooftop docking station at City Hall can reach the busiest zones in the city center in approximately two minutes.

The hardware specs support that claim. The Skydio X10 cruises at roughly 45 mph (72 km/h) in autonomous DFR mode. During a recent demonstration flight from City Hall to Conroe Police Department headquarters—a distance of approximately 2.7 miles (4.3 km)—the drone completed the trip in about three minutes. A patrol car navigating downtown traffic covers the same route in nine to ten minutes.

The X10 is equipped with thermal imaging sensors and a high-resolution optical zoom camera capable of reading license plates from 800 feet (244 meters). For nighttime callouts or search-and-rescue missions in rural terrain, thermal imaging is more critical than the optical lens. Conroe stated that locating missing children and responding to lost elderly person reports were operational priorities from day one.

Skydio Deepens Its Foothold in U.S. Municipal Law Enforcement

As Conroe PD illustrates, a growing number of U.S. police departments have turned to the Skydio X10 since federal procurement guidelines excluded DJI from the Blue UAS approved list. Skydio currently holds the largest single market share in the U.S. rooftop-docked autonomous response system segment.

Skydio primarily reaches law enforcement agencies through Axon—the manufacturer of Tasers and body cameras—which became Skydio's exclusive public safety distributor in 2021 and expanded the partnership to cover full DFR services in 2024. When a department purchases a Skydio drone in 2026, it typically arrives alongside Axon digital evidence software, body cameras, and Tasers already deployed in the field.

Skydio's autonomous flight technology and weather-resistant airframe have earned the X10 a solid operational reputation. At comparable price points, DJI hardware still outperforms the X10 on image quality and flight endurance per unit cost. The X10's advantages lie in autonomy and a domestic U.S. supply chain rather than traditional performance metrics—and federal procurement rules currently reward exactly that.

Public Transparency Portal and Privacy Controls

Chief Buckholtz committed to launching a public transparency portal on the Conroe PD website, publishing recent drone flight paths and providing residents with program details. The page will go live alongside the program and will be updated after each flight.

The X10's camera is configured to point toward the horizon rather than downward during transit flights, a software setting designed to reduce incidental capture of residential backyards and rooftops along flight corridors. Trained Conroe dispatchers assess each incoming call and determine whether to deploy a drone before any pilot intervention occurs.

The department has 13 FAA Part 107-certified pilots qualified to operate the X10. The Skydio X10 is equipped with an onboard parachute that deploys automatically when the aircraft detects an uncommanded rapid descent.

The fire department is also integrated into the deployment plan. Conroe Fire Rescue received a dedicated access link to view live thermal imaging feeds, allowing firefighters to identify heat sources inside a structure before entering a burning building.

DroneXL's Perspective

Stripping away the press release language, the core of Conroe's story is about who pays. A police department that wants two-minute drone response instead of four-minute patrol car response can fund it with money already inside the criminal justice system—no new taxes, no budget battle. Buckholtz's framing was concise and accurate: criminal money, used to catch criminals.

Yet another police department, yet another Skydio order. There isn't much more to add. My standing view still holds: if Skydio had any real competition on the Blue UAS list, these contracts wouldn't come this easily. But that's my opinion, not the opinion of the people signing the checks.

Watch closely for the one-year program review to see whether Conroe expands its docking stations beyond City Hall. The public transparency portal will surface flight paths and call volume. Whether the department uses those numbers to scale up, hold steady, or quietly scale back will be a signal worth watching for other cities across the country.

Image credit: Conroe PD

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