Drone-as-first-responder programs, pursuit footage, evidence policy, and the departments putting UAS on patrol.
A California homeowner faces a staggering $300,000 fine after a city drone recorded illegal fireworks at his property on July 4th—even though he insists he wasn’t there. The case, part of a nearly $1 million drone enforcement crackdown in Stanton, raises troubling questions about warrantless aerial surveillance, constitutional protections against excessive fines, and whether property…
Wisconsin lawmakers are circulating legislation that would authorize police to shoot down drones they deem threats to public safety—a move that directly contradicts federal law making it a felony to destroy any aircraft, including drones. The bill, coauthored by Rep. Chuck Wichgers (R-Muskego) and Sen. Julian Bradley (R-New Berlin), would grant law enforcement unprecedented authority…
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…
An 8-year-old boy who walked away from his home in Merrimac, Massachusetts, was safely located within 72 minutes Thursday morning thanks to the department’s Drone Unit. Officer William David operated the drone that spotted the child in a wooded area behind his home, demonstrating how small-town police departments are using drone technology to save lives…
A San Diego judge has ordered the City of Chula Vista to pay over $500,000 in legal fees after losing a groundbreaking four-year legal battle over public access to police drone videos, delivering a costly lesson in transparency that could reshape how law enforcement agencies nationwide handle drone footage requests. Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal…
London’s Metropolitan Police have begun deploying remotely-operated drones to emergency calls, with the unmanned aircraft reaching crime scenes within two minutes to stream live footage to responding officers. The trial program, known as “Drone as First Responder,” launched in the north London neighborhood of Islington and aims to expand to two additional sites covering the…
Wrap Technologies has unveiled what it claims is the first commercially available non-lethal drone interdiction system in the United States. The DFR-X payload system, branded as the MERLIN-Interdictor, mounts the company’s BolaWrap tether technology onto drones—transforming passive observation platforms into active restraint tools that can physically intervene before officers arrive on scene. The
The Eureka Police Department pulled a proposal Monday that would have allowed the agency to begin researching a drone program, following organized opposition from privacy activists who mobilized community members ahead of Tuesday’s city council meeting. The withdrawal highlights how California‘s military equipment ordinance creates checkpoints that can delay or derail law enforcement drone adoptio
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