Watertown council approves police application for technology grant

The Watertown City Council approved the Police Department’s application for a state technology grant that could provide up to $250,000 for equipment, including drones and a roadway intelligence platform.

The platform would use anonymous smartphone data to provide information about traffic speed, congestion and volume. Police said it would not capture license plates, identify individual drivers or use stationary cameras. The department also plans to review vendors and privacy concerns before selecting technology. Drones could be used to assess scenes, cover difficult terrain and help locate missing people or people hiding from police.