ULM Installs SkySafe Drone Detection System

The University of Louisiana Monroe just made a quiet but strategic move in the drone chess match playing out above American campuses.

ULM has partnered with SkySafe, a company known for drone detection and airspace intelligence, installing a cloud based system designed to monitor and track unauthorized drone activity across campus. The goal is simple. Protect students, faculty, and visitors from unsafe flights that could disrupt events or create security risks.

Universities are increasingly dealing with rogue drones hovering over football stadiums, graduation ceremonies, and crowded public gatherings.

What used to be a novelty gadget is now a potential safety concern. A single unauthorized drone can interrupt a game, trigger panic, or force security teams into reactive mode.

ULM decided it was time to stop looking up and guessing.

From “Boots on the Ground” to Real Time Airspace Intelligence

Historically, drone monitoring at large events meant officers scanning the sky with binoculars and radios. It was manual, limited, and dependent on visibility. In other words, human eyes versus tiny aircraft moving at speed.

SkySafe replaces that approach with 24 hour monitoring, drone detection, tracking, analytics, and forensic capabilities. The system provides real time visibility into the campus airspace and helps distinguish between authorized and unauthorized drones.

Mark Johnson, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Training Director for the ULM Police Department, led the initiative using FEMA grant funding after an uptick in drone activity over campus. After reviewing multiple solutions, ULM selected SkySafe for its reliability and continuous monitoring capabilities.

Johnson emphasized that the value goes beyond software dashboards.

“SkySafe gives us a proactive, reliable way to manage drone activity on campus,” he said, highlighting the importance of partnership and deployment support.

Large events like football games and academic ceremonies were a major consideration. When thousands gather in one place, airspace becomes part of the security perimeter. With this deployment, ULM gains full time awareness instead of event day improvisation.

A Growing Trend in Higher Education

ULM is not alone. SkySafe already supports the University of Illinois, where the system has been used for three years to monitor campus and stadium airspace during major Big Ten sporting events.

That signals something bigger. Universities are beginning to treat low altitude airspace like they treat cybersecurity. You would not run a campus network without firewalls and intrusion detection. Increasingly, institutions are applying the same logic to the sky.

SkySafe’s leadership framed the partnership as part of a broader shift. As drone capabilities evolve, so do the risks. Detection and differentiation between authorized and unauthorized flights is becoming critical, especially as more universities use drones for media, research, and operations.

For ULM President Dr. Carrie L. Castille, the installation fits into a broader vision of campus modernization, adopting technology that strengthens safety while supporting large public events.

DroneXL’s Take

Drone detection systems on campuses are no longer experimental tech. They are becoming standard infrastructure. As drone adoption grows among hobbyists, students, and even university departments themselves, the line between friendly and risky flights gets thinner.

ULM’s move reflects a growing reality. If you host major events, you need eyes in the sky that never blink. The question is no longer whether universities will deploy airspace intelligence systems, but how quickly others will follow.

Photo credit: ULM, SkySafe.