Category: Robotics

  • Mass Surveillance in the Budget

    Mass Surveillance in the Budget

    Wondering what Surveillance is showing up in the Maui County Budget? Here is the 2027 Proposed Budget, 2026 Budget, and 2025 budget line items that contain mass surveillance, with a quick summary:

    Summary:

    Maui County Budget contains 3 primary categories for surveillance: license plate readers, drone technology, and helicopter technology. With what appears to be an annual cost of $3+ million, and over $1 million in surveillance tech, we count the helicopter.

    2027 Surveillance in Budget (proposed)

    AI Capable License Plate Readers

    910059B-6020 Film & Camera Supplies: Budget transferred from 910493B-6020. Funding for
    costs related to Technology for cameras and license plate readers used in investigations.
    $650,000

    How Much are Helicopters?

    910420B-6112 Contractual Service: Budget transferred from 910420B-6132. Annual cost
    dedicated to police Operations ($3M);Operations/Flight Time ($600K). $3,600,000
    910420B-6132 Professional Services: Budget transferred to 910420B-6112. –$3,600,000

    How Much are Drones?

    910059B-6035 Miscellaneous Supplies: Funding for annual cost of Special Investigations-
    Radio Isolation Bags, containers, storage devices, filters, equipment, supplies, Drone
    propellers, batteries, maintenance
    , Undercover cell phones, tablets, and pre-paid cards.
    $225,000

    910059C-7044 Other Equipment: Purchase of (2) Drone Chargers at $4,000 each, (1)
    Evidence Storage Server at $100,000, (1) Vacuum Metal Deposition Machine at $ 8,000, (4)
    Autel Max 4N Drones at $14,000 each, Analysis Cartridges for rapid DNA at $100,000, and
    100 life cycle Drone Propellors at $10,000. $278,000

    Real Time Operations Center


    *Additional Funding Federally

    910059B-6129 Other Services: Additional funding for Annual Cost for RTOC Software,
    Camera Integration, Central Command Community, and WAVE Software. $1,720,000

    More Software Please

    910026B-6138 R & M – Services/Contracts: Increase funding for annual Cost of Services:
    Pen Link, VPN Lines, and Specialized Service. $47,000

    910059B-6212 Dues: Additional funding for annual cost of License Renewals/Memberships
    Passware Premium, Cellebrite, Magnet Forensics, MSAB, Sumuri, Axon, NetSpark, Teel
    Tech, Monolith, Passmark, Get Data, OSINT, DataPilot, Whooster, FirstTwo, and Leica.
    $800,000

    2026 Surveillance in Budget

    Artificial Intelligence Technology

    910493B-6020 Film & Camera Supplies: Council added funding for costs related to Artificial
    Intelligence Technology for cameras and license plate readers used in investigations.

    $650,000

    More Drones Please

    910059B-6035 Miscellaneous Supplies: Funding for Drone/SUAs propellers, batteries and
    maintenance, drone computer monitors/external screens, and wall mounted television. $310,000

    Helicopter Costs

    910420B-6132 Professional Services: Funding for Police training and flight time operations
    related to Helicopter with night time capabilities. $3,600,000

    Tracking Software

    910026B-6244 Computer Software: Purchase of Pen Link/Cellebrite Software. $5,000

    910059C-7044 Other Equipment: Purchase of (1) 7-units Filter Forensic Drying Cabinets
    $11,500, (1) Autel Dragonfish Battery Bundle $7,000, (1) Electronic Badge Reader $7,000,
    (1) Flammables Cabinet $8,000, (1) Full Spectrum Imaging System II $90,000, (1) Mobile
    Field Work Station $8,000, (1) Portable X-Ray System $43,000, (1) Stainless Steel
    Equipment Cart $2,600, (1) Vacuum Metal Deposition Instrument $95,500 , (1) Wall
    Mounted Autopsy Sink $90,000, (1) WIFI Tracking Device $40,000, (2) DJI Power Bank
    1000 $2,400, Analysis Cartridges for rapid DNA testing $150,000, Replacement of (2)
    Polarizing Compound Microscopes $15,000, and (2) Steremicroscopes at $18,000. $588,000

    2025 Surveillance In Budget

    Helicopter Tech

    910420C-7044 Other Equipment: Council moved funding from Technical and Support
    Services Program for an RFP for the night vision helicopter equipment. $500,000

    Drones Cost Money

    910059C-7044 Other Equipment: Purchase of two drones with controller, spare parts, and
    tool kit integrated into Pelican case at $25,000 each
    ; High capacity laptop computer with
    360 laser scanning ($6,000); two printer/copier/scanners ($12,000); stainless steel
    equipment cart for the morgue ($2,300); two way communication negotiation throw balls
    ($9,000); drone/SUAS Team Autel Dragonfish ($170,000); Vacuum metal deposition
    instrument for latent fingerprint recovery ($92,500). $341,800