Rochester Police Gets $8M For Surveillance Drones And Cameras To Monitor Protests—Part Of Hochul’s $127M Statewide Push

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is investing $127 million in law enforcement surveillance technology across the state, with Monroe County receiving $24 million—the largest share of any county. Rochester Police Department plans to use $8 million of its allocation to upgrade a 20-year-old blue light camera system and purchase additional drones specifically for crowd control at protests, according to the Democrat & Chronicle.

The announcement comes as police drone programs nationwide face mounting civil liberties concerns, particularly over their use to monitor constitutionally protected activities like protests and public gatherings.

From $20M To $127M: Investment Grows Six-Fold

Governor Hochul’s initial pledge of $20 million for law enforcement technology has exploded to $127 million by the time funding was disbursed to 378 police departments and sheriffs’ offices statewide. The massive increase has enabled police agencies across New York to purchase drones, automated license plate readers, body cameras, and surveillance systems.

Monroe County’s $24 million allocation represents the largest county share in the state. Rochester Police Department received $10 million through the grant program, with $8 million earmarked specifically for upgrading its aging surveillance infrastructure and expanding drone capabilities.

“There’s no talk of ever defunding law enforcement under my watch,” Hochul said at a news conference in Rochester on October 24, during a tour showcasing the technology investments.

Twenty-Year-Old Cameras Getting Upgrade—And More Drones For Protests

Rochester’s blue light camera system, first installed in 2005, monitors the city through more than 150 cameras mounted on light posts throughout the city. But the two-decade-old technology produces grainy, low-quality footage that hampers investigations.

“I just had a tour where they’re monitoring over 150 cameras and watched a crime that was committed just yesterday — the theft of a handbag,” RPD Captain Greg Bello told the Democrat & Chronicle. “You could see the individuals, but it was kind of grainy and it wasn’t great. It turned out this technology is from 2005. So 20 years ago, you were ahead of your time. But time has passed.”

RPD will use $8 million of its $10 million grant to modernize the camera system. The department is also purchasing additional drones—though specific models, quantities, and costs weren’t disclosed—that will be deployed for search-and-rescue missions and crowd control at festivals and protests.

Police Justify Protest Surveillance As Officer Safety Measure

Captain Bello’s explanation for using drones at protests reveals the exact “mission creep” scenario that civil liberties advocates have warned about. While acknowledging privacy and free speech concerns, he argued that aerial surveillance keeps both police and protesters safer.

“One of the problems, though, that we have to face is that when we put officers physically out there, they become the target oftentimes,” he said. “That only serves to agitate the crowds and also puts our officers in jeopardy. So, frequently, you don’t see us at protests … (Drones) allow us to stay away, let the protesters do their thing, without creating a confrontational environment — but at the same time we can monitor should things turn violent, should there be property damage. It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Rochester Police already tested a “Drone as First Responder” program earlier this year, citing chronic staffing shortages. However, Bello indicated the newly purchased drones would not be integrated into that emergency response system.

Part Of Explosive National Trend Toward Police Aerial Surveillance

Rochester’s drone expansion mirrors a nationwide surge in police surveillance programs. Approximately 1,500 US law enforcement agencies now operate drone programs—a 150% increase since 2018—with many deploying AI-powered systems capable of monitoring biometric data, tracking vehicles, and conducting persistent surveillance.

The New York Civil Liberties Union documented 876 active police drones across New York State as of April 2025, representing a 65% increase from 2022 to 2024. Law enforcement agencies operate the vast majority of these drones.

Major cities from San Francisco to Las Vegas have launched comprehensive “Drone as First Responder” programs, while the NYPD has deployed drones at protests more than 2,600 times since October 2023, making over 2,800 arrests.

Minimal Oversight Despite Massive Spending Increase

Despite the six-fold funding increase from initial proposals to final disbursement, oversight of how agencies justify their technology requests remains minimal. A Democrat & Chronicle review of law enforcement technology grants found that agencies responded to just two questions about their technology requests, with many providing answers of 300 words or less.

It remains unclear how police agencies justified their specific requests for funding or what data retention and transparency policies will govern the new surveillance systems.

DroneXL’s Take

This is the exact scenario we’ve been documenting and warning about for years: “emergency response” funding that enables surveillance of constitutionally protected activities. Captain Bello’s justification for protest monitoring—keeping officers safe by staying away—sounds reasonable until you consider the chilling effect of persistent aerial surveillance on First Amendment rights.

We’ve seen this playbook before. The NYPD started with drones for emergency response and quickly expanded to monitoring Labor Day barbecues, Columbia University protests, and everyday 911 calls. Las Vegas pitched its program as lifesaving technology, then deployed rooftop drone networks across the city. San Francisco received $9.4 million in private donations to expand surveillance capabilities under the guise of public safety.

The pattern is clear: Once departments have drones and the infrastructure to deploy them, the mission expands. Today it’s festivals and “potential” violence at protests. Tomorrow it’s monitoring political demonstrations, tracking activists, or creating permanent aerial surveillance of entire neighborhoods. As we’ve documented, approximately 1,500 US law enforcement agencies now operate drone programs—a 150% increase since 2018—with many deploying AI-powered systems capable of scanning license plates from the sky.

Rochester’s situation is particularly concerning because the justification explicitly involves monitoring protests—not responding to active crimes or emergencies, but preventive surveillance of constitutionally protected assembly. The Fourth Amendment concerns are obvious, but so are the First Amendment implications when citizens know police drones may be recording their participation in political demonstrations.

Governor Hochul deserves credit for investing in law enforcement technology, but the lack of transparency around how $20 million became $127 million—and how agencies justify their surveillance requests—should alarm every New Yorker. When police departments provide 300-word justifications for millions in surveillance funding, that’s not oversight, that’s a rubber stamp.

The Rochester Police Department needs to answer some hard questions: What specific policies will govern drone use at protests? How long will footage be retained? Who has access to the data? Will facial recognition be integrated? What are the constitutional guardrails?

Without clear answers and enforceable limitations, Rochester is building the infrastructure for a surveillance state, one blue light camera and protest-monitoring drone at a time.

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