Drone-as-first-responder programs, pursuit footage, evidence policy, and the departments putting UAS on patrol.
Santa Maria’s police department is getting its drone-as-first-responder program off the ground with money raised at a charity gala, not a line in the city budget. The Santa Maria Police Council, a nonprofit booster group, pulled in about $95,000 at its annual fundraiser and is handing the department a $97,869 donation to buy the aircraft.…
Two California cities moved to put police drones in the air the same week, and both ran straight into residents who don’t want them there. West Hollywood launches a sheriff-run drone program by the end of July. Berkeley opens bidding on a public safety package that bundles drones with license plate readers and cameras. DroneXL…
An El Paso County Sheriff’s Office drone spotted people fleeing a Colorado Springs-area home and hiding in the backyard before deputies ever arrived on scene, leading to the arrest of a 44-year-old woman wanted on two active warrants. The Sheriff’s Office Regional Communications Center received a disturbance call around 8:00 AM on June 26, 2026,…
On Monday, Nassau County Police announced a $1 million first-responder drone program that turns emergency response on its head. Instead of waiting for a drone to launch from a headquarters, Nassau is installing eight fully automated pods across the county that can get airborne in under 30 seconds. This is what happens when you stop…
An NYPD drone fell out of the sky and caught fire in DUMBO on Tuesday night, June 23, coming down at 1 Water Street near the entrance to the FIFA World Cup Fan Zone in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The lithium-ion battery ignited on impact. Firefighters put it out. Nobody was hurt. But the aircraft dropped…
Secret Service counter-drone teams join the National Mall’s first-ever July 4 NSSE, backed by the same federal buildout funding World Cup security.
Chief Jon Buckholtz announced the rollout at a press conference, confirming that the Conroe City Council authorized the purchase of two Skydio X10 drones and two docking stations in December 2025 using asset forfeiture funds. "We purchased this with money that was seized from criminals, in order to fight criminals," Buckholtz said.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth appointed venture capitalist Marc Andreessen to the Defense Policy Board on Monday, June 29, 2026, placing the co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz on the advisory panel that counsels the Pentagon’s top civilian leadership on force structure, modernization, and national security strategy. Andreessen joins as one of thirteen members named alongside chair…
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