Police, fire, and search-and-rescue teams putting drones to work when minutes matter.
The New York Police Department conducted 6,546 drone flights in the first six months of 2025, representing a 3,200% increase since 2022, according to a new report by civil rights watchdog Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.). The explosive growth raises serious questions about privacy, safety, and transparency as the NYPD deploys 4.7-pound Skydio drones over…
Welcome to your weekly US news update from Pilot Institute. We have three important stories this week that show both the risks and benefits of drone operations. A police drone crashed and injured a child. A thermal drone helped rescue a missing 85-year-old man. And a viral drone show proposal set a new standard for…
A Bradenton Police Department drone pilot recently captured a rare and heartwarming scene along the Manatee River near Bradenton Riverwalk
The playbook American lawmakers perfected against DJI drones is crossing the Atlantic. The UK Ministry of Defence is considering a blanket ban on Chinese-manufactured electric vehicles for military personnel, citing surveillance concerns over built-in cameras and microphones—the exact same argument U.S. officials used to justify restrictions on Chinese drones despite years of failing to produce…
The Asheville Police Department’s drone unit flew what they claim is the largest American flag ever carried by a drone at an NFL stadium during the Carolina Panthers’ first responders’ day on November 9, 2025, according to local reports. The heavy-lift drone carried a massive 20-by-30-foot American flag over Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte…
Portland, Maine’s City Council voted 4-3 Monday night to reject the police department’s proposal to purchase a $45,000 drone for search-and-rescue operations and accident reconstruction, marking another rare example of sustained citizen resistance to police drone adoption as most U.S. cities rapidly deploy aerial surveillance with minimal public debate. The Portland Police Department sought to…
DFR Revolution: Stamford’s new automated Paladin DJI M30 drones are launching from rooftops to beat fire trucks to the scene, giving commanders eyes on high-rise fires before crews even leave the garage. In a dramatic validation of drone technology, a 911-dispatched drone recently beat fire crews to a high-rise blaze in Stamford, CT, confirming a…
Germany is breaking a decades-long taboo by empowering its military to shoot down unidentified drones over domestic soil. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s cabinet approved the landmark legislation Wednesday, authorizing the Bundeswehr to deploy weapons and advanced jammers inside Germany’s borders to protect critical infrastructure. The move was reported by Bloomberg, citing the need to counter a…
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