California
California Drones: Get the latest drone news and regulations in California. Learn about drone activities and technology shaping the state.
Brooklyn Park Approves $4.6M Drone First Responder Program With Skydio After Legislator Killing
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota’s City Council unanimously approved a $4.6 million expansion of its police technology contract to implement a Drone as First Responder program, bringing the department’s total 10-year agreement with Axon Enterprise to $12.4 million. The November 10 vote…
MQ-9 Predator Drones Monitor US Protesters for First Time Since 2020
The Department of Homeland Security deployed MQ-9 Predator drones over Los Angeles anti-ICE protests in June 2025, marking the first time since 2020 that military-grade surveillance aircraft have monitored domestic demonstrations on U.S. soil. The deployment represents a significant departure…
Syracuse Police Drone Program Stalled Again As Lawmakers Withdraw Approval For Fourth Time In 2025
Syracuse lawmakers have once again grounded the city’s controversial drone-as-first-responder program, marking the fourth time in 2025 that city councilors have delayed approval of software needed to launch autonomous police drones that would respond to 911 calls. Councilor Chol Majok…
From Teenage Drone Racers To $121M Defense Contractors: How Two 20-Somethings Are Building America’s FPV War Machine
Soren Monroe-Anderson was just 20 years old when he walked into the Pentagon with his friend Olaf Hichwa, trying to sell drones they’d built in his parents’ garage. A senior Department of Defense official shut them down immediately: “You can’t…
Drone Helps Reunite Lost Dog With Her Owner in Mission Viejo
In Mission Viejo, California, a drone typically used for public safety and inspection work helped bring a missing dog home. The city’s Animal Services department deployed its new DJI drone, equipped with a state-of-the-art thermal imaging camera, to locate and…
DJI Drones Catch Orcas Hunting Great Whites in Mexico
We often use our drones to capture beautiful, peaceful sunsets. Or sunrises. But every now and then, a drone captures something truly raw, a scene that rewrites what we thought we knew about the planet. This is one of those…
Concord PD Expands Drone-as-First-Responder Program with Skydio X10
The Concord Police Department in California is taking a major step toward the future of public safety and Kron4 News investigate about it. Officials have announced an expansion of their Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, which will use advanced…
DJI Drone Helps Firefighters Save Tiny Dog From California Canal
A DJI drone played a key role in saving a small dog fighting for his life in a California canal, proving once again how aerial technology can make a real difference in emergencies. As The Dodo told us, In August,…
Amazon Activates Prime Air Drone Delivery In Waco Two Days After Pontiac Launch
Amazon officially launched its Prime Air drone delivery service in Waco, Texas on Tuesday, marking the e-commerce giant’s fourth active U.S. market just two days after activating service in Pontiac, Michigan. The rapid expansion signals Amazon’s aggressive push to scale…
University of Minnesota Drone Swarms Map Wildfire Smoke in 3D to Predict Fire Behavior
University of Minnesota researchers successfully completed their 11th field trial of autonomous AI-powered drone swarms that analyze wildfire smoke patterns in three dimensions, marking a significant step toward deploying academic research for real-world emergency response as climate change intensifies fire…
Pony.ai’s Driverless Taxi Leap: Why this matters to drone pilots
A new chapter in urban transportation Imagine hailing a taxi in downtown Shenzhen and the driver’s seat is empty. No steering wheel to touch, no human voice greeting you—just a clean, humming car waiting to take you wherever you need…
Victorville Becomes First Contract City To Launch BRINC Drone First Responder Program With $832K State-Funded Deal
The City of Victorville is set to become the first contract city with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to implement a Drone as First Responder (DFR) program, following a unanimous City Council vote earlier this month that approved an…