FY27 Appropriations
FY27 Appropriations
DFW Public Safety and Intelligent Parking System
Proposed Recipient: DFW Airport Police Department
Address of Recipient: 2400 Aviation Dr. DFW Airport, Texas 75261
Amount of Request: $5,000,000
Explanation of Request: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s (DFW) terminal parking facilities and curbside areas are among the most heavily used public access zones on airport property, accommodating millions of vehicles and passengers each year. These areas function as active, high-density environments where public safety and property crime risks must be managed continuously. This project deploys a camera-based situational awareness and investigative platform that provides stall-level monitoring coverage across parking facilities and integrates in real time with airport police and law enforcement systems. The system enhances visibility and supports faster detection of suspicious activity and vehicle-related crimes in areas that traditionally rely on manual patrol and post-incident review.
By replacing fragmented monitoring with a comprehensive technology platform, DFW can improve both proactive enforcement and investigative follow-up. The system supports rapid identification of vehicles of interest, improves evidence collection, and reduces the time officers spend reviewing footage after incidents occur. It also acts as a force multiplier, allowing existing personnel to cover a much larger operational footprint with greater effectiveness. This project modernizes public safety infrastructure at DFW and strengthens the airport’s ability to protect travelers, employees and visitors in some of its busiest public spaces.
DFW Public Safety and Intelligent Parking System
Real-Time Crime Response and Drone First Responder Expansion
Proposed Recipient: City of Dallas Police Department
Address of Recipient: 1500 Marilla St. Dallas, TX 75201
Amount of Request: $8,000,000
Explanation of Request: The Dallas Police Department is requesting $8,000,000 to expand its Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program and integrate drone response capabilities with the Department’s Fusion Center and real-time crime analysis operations. DFR systems allow unmanned aerial systems to respond rapidly to calls for service and provide real-time situational awareness to dispatchers, analysts, and responding officers before personnel arrive on scene. Integrating this technology with the Dallas Police Department Fusion Center equips analysts and officers to monitor incidents and provide intelligence to officers in the field.
At program inception, the Dallas Police Department’s DFR program will deploy nine automated drone docking stations throughout the city. These stations allow drones to launch remotely in response to calls for service and provide live video and situational awareness to responding officers. This request will support the deployment of the additional drones operating as a coordinated public safety response network integrated with the Department’s real-time crime analysis and intelligence systems. Expanding this capability increases the reach of drone response operations across the city and improves the Department’s ability to respond to incidents in multiple neighborhoods simultaneously.
Drones often arrive at the scene before officers and provide advanced situational awareness. This improves response decisions and enhances officer safety by allowing officers to evaluate scenes before arrival. The system will support response to violent crime incidents, assist with search and rescue operations, support missing persons investigations, and provide real-time information to emergency dispatch and intelligence personnel. Dallas serves as a major regional public safety hub for North Texas, and expanding this technology will strengthen real-time intelligence sharing, improve officer safety, and enhance the Department’s ability to prevent and respond to crime citywide.
Real-Time Crime Response and Drone First Responder Expansion
Lake Ray Hubbard Marine Patrol Vessel Replacement
Proposed Recipient: City of Dallas Police Department
Address of Recipient: 1500 Marilla St. Dallas, TX 75201
Amount of Request: $600,000
Explanation of Request: The Dallas Police Department is requesting $600,000 to replace the oldest patrol boat currently in its marine patrol fleet with a modern law enforcement vessel capable of supporting public safety operations on Lake Ray Hubbard. Lake Ray Hubbard is a heavily used recreational waterway serving residents and visitors throughout the Dallas region. The lake includes multiple marinas, recreational boating areas, and critical infrastructure sites requiring routine law enforcement patrol and rapid response capability. The new patrol boat will include an enclosed, climate-controlled cabin along with modern marine technology such as sonar, radar, automatic identification system (AIS), VHF radio communications, and emergency lighting and siren systems. These upgrades will enhance the unit’s ability to conduct routine water patrols, respond to calls for service, and support security operations for multiple critical infrastructure locations on the lake in a wide range of weather conditions.
The vessel will also expand police capacity in water response. The addition of dive air tank storage allows dive operations to be integrated into existing marine patrol activities. The integrated davit crane will allow officers to safely lift heavy objects from the water onto the vessel, including drowning victims, navigation buoys, and debris that may present hazards to boaters. Due to the vessel’s size and weight, the project will also include a hydraulic boat lift to safely raise and lower the vessel while stored at a marina slip. This equipment will support efficient deployment and ensure the vessel remains ready for rapid response. Replacing the aging patrol vessel will improve officer safety, enhance emergency response capabilities, and strengthen the Dallas Police Department’s ability to protect residents and visitors using Lake Ray Hubbard.
Lake Ray Hubbard Marine Patrol Vessel Replacement
DFW DPS Counter-UAS Detection System
Proposed Recipient: DFW Airport Police Department
Address of Recipient: 2400 Aviation Dr. DFW Airport, Texas 75261
Amount of Request: $1,800,000
Explanation of Request: The Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Department of Public Safety (DFW DPS) seeks funding to acquire and deploy a RADAR-enabled Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) detection platform. The system will enable detection of Class I drones that do not emit radio frequency (RF) signals and therefore cannot be identified using existing RF-based monitoring tools. Unauthorized drone activity presents increasing risks to public safety, critical infrastructure, and law enforcement operations. DFW currently lacks the capability to detect certain non-RF-emitting drones, creating a gap in situational awareness and response. The project includes procurement of sensors and RADAR hardware, software integration, installation, and officer training. Ongoing operations and maintenance costs will be absorbed within existing DFW DPS resources.
