KVIG Informative

In 2023, a Skydio sales representative sent a customer proposal to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. LVMPD Chief of Staff Mike Gennaro forwarded the email to venture capitalist Ben Horowitz, asking which deployment option the department should choose.

Horowitz replied with a question: Which deployment are you looking to do?

Gennaro’s response, according to emails obtained by a national online outlet through a public records request: Whatever you want, Ben.

Horowitz then sent money to the LVMPD Foundation to purchase Skydio drones. Skydio is a portfolio company of Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital firm Horowitz co-founded with Marc Andreessen. The firm manages billions in investment capital and holds ownership stakes in the companies it funds.

The Donations

According to Horowitz’s own October 2024 blog post on the Andreessen Horowitz website, he and his wife Felicia have donated at least $7.6 million to LVMPD since early 2023. The purchases include $120,000 for a gymnasium, ice machine, and cappuccino machine for 911 operators; $800,000 for computer terminals; $400,000 for technology from Prepared911; and approximately $6.3 million for drones and license plate readers from Skydio and Flock Safety. Prepared911, Skydio, and Flock Safety are all Andreessen Horowitz portfolio companies. Horowitz describes them as such in his blog post.

The donations bypass normal procurement processes. Police foundations operate as tax-exempt nonprofits that allow private citizens and corporations to donate money for equipment purchases without public bids or council approvals. Critics say the practice creates conflicts of interest and lacks transparency. Evan Feeney of Color Of Change told a national online outlet that billionaires should not be allowed to buy access and influence with law enforcement.

The Revolving Door

Around the same time that Skydio publicized its partnership with LVMPD, Sergeant Brad Cupp — who had championed Skydio drones internally and supervised the department’s Unmanned Aerial Systems program — left the police department for a new position as program manager at Skydio, according to his LinkedIn profile and a national online outlet’s report. Cupp had been with LVMPD for 19 years and was responsible for the department’s drone and electronic surveillance programs.

Sheriff Kevin McMahill has appeared on Andreessen Horowitz podcasts at least three times. In February 2024, he appeared on the a16z Podcast alongside Flock Safety founder Garrett Langley and a16z general partner David Ulevitch to discuss drones, data, and deterrence in public safety. The episode was recorded at the firm’s 2023 LP Summit — an event for investors in a16z funds — where McMahill wore his police uniform onstage.

In November 2024, McMahill appeared on another a16z podcast with Horowitz and Andreessen titled Las Vegas is Becoming the Safest City in America. In that episode, McMahill outlined his wish list for future technology, including AI to blur faces in body camera footage and AI to sift through cell phone tower data during investigations. Horowitz responded that applying AI to cell phone records would be a very easy solve for us, and Andreessen said developing face-blurring technology should be very easy.

Performance Claims Under Scrutiny

Horowitz’s blog post included performance statistics. He said 911 calls are now answered in 30 seconds on average, and that shootings decreased 21.4 percent year over year. He credited the technologies from Skydio, Flock Safety, and Prepared911. However, the outlet that obtained the emails reported that Horowitz did not disclose the source of these statistics, and when asked, declined to answer. LVMPD referred the outlet to its public crime statistics, which did not line up with Horowitz’s figures.

At the 2023 LP Summit, McMahill praised the technologies to a room full of investors in the very funds that own the companies. Every piece of that technology is the equivalent of three police officers, he said of Flock Safety products. He added: Bad guys know that when you come to Las Vegas, because of our abilities, technology being at the forefront of it, you are going to get caught. McMahill also told investors: We are going to get to a place at some point where it becomes impossible to commit a crime.

The Drone Program

LVMPD currently operates 75 drones, the vast majority of which are Skydio X10 models. The department launched its Drone as First Responder program in October 2024, deploying drones to respond to high-priority 911 calls including assaults, burglaries, and vehicle thefts. Drones provide real-time aerial video to officers before they arrive on scene.

Horowitz’s blog post described how the integrated systems work: If someone steals a car with a baby in it, the Flock Safety system will locate and geotag the license plate, then a Skydio drone is automatically sent to monitor the situation. The camera feed from the drone will be sent to every police officer’s cell phone, so that they can approach the situation with the appropriate resources.

The Tesla Connection

In October 2024, McMahill announced that LVMPD would acquire 10 Tesla Cybertrucks and deploy them as patrol vehicles, making Las Vegas home to the nation’s largest Cybertruck fleet. McMahill said the $2.7 million purchase was funded through private donations. Tesla is not an Andreessen Horowitz portfolio company, but Horowitz personally invested $400 million in Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022, according to SEC filings.

Horowitz purchased a residence in Las Vegas, and Andreessen reportedly bought a $36 million vacant lot nine minutes away. The donations began in early 2023, shortly after Horowitz moved to the area.

The AI Expansion

In February 2026, McMahill delivered his State of the Department address and announced a new AI project called the KVN Project. The system will interconnect LVMPD’s technology platforms, allowing investigators to search databases using suspect descriptions, vehicle information, and modus operandi while cross-referencing prison release records. McMahill said the AI brain will shorten internal affairs investigations and reduce time officers spend on paperwork.

According to the emails obtained by the outlet, Horowitz facilitated introductions between LVMPD and at least six a16z portfolio companies, including Kodex, a secure communications startup, and Earnin’, which provides employees early access to their paychecks. The relationship between the department and the venture capital firm continues to expand. The equipment is in the tunnels, the drones are in the sky, and the sheriff is on the podcast. The question of who the department answers to gets harder to answer each year.