police drone
AI-Powered Police Drones Reach 1,500 US Departments As Landmark Privacy Lawsuit Tests Legal Limits
Police and sheriff’s departments across America have rapidly embraced AI-powered drones for everything from pursuits and investigations to emergency response, with approximately 1,500 agencies now operating drone programs by late 2024—a 150% increase since 2018. But as departments deploy increasingly…
Drone at 75 Feet Near San Diego Airport Runway Sparks Confusion: Police or Unauthorized?
A drone hovering at just 75 feet near San Diego International Airport’s active runway created a dangerous close call with incoming passenger aircraft in late August, with air traffic control recordings revealing confusion about whether the aircraft was authorized police…
Germany Grants Police Power to Shoot Down Drones After Munich Airport Chaos
Germany’s cabinet approved sweeping new legislation Wednesday authorizing federal police to shoot down rogue drones, a direct response to the Munich Airport disruptions that stranded over 10,000 passengers last week and mounting evidence of Russian hybrid warfare across Europe. The…
Hingham Police Drone Helps Catch Teen Suspect in 60-Car Break-In Spree
A police drone helped Hingham, Massachusetts officers track down and arrest a 17-year-old suspect who allegedly broke into approximately 60 unlocked vehicles in a single night. The aerial deployment, coordinated with K-9 units and neighboring Norwell Police, demonstrates how suburban…
Police Drones May Soon Scan License Plates From the Sky
A disturbing new report from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has revealed the next frontier in police surveillance: drones equipped with automated license plate readers (ALPRs). Tech companies like Flock Safety are actively developing and pitching these systems to law…
Sunny Isles Police Drone Catches Trespasser on Dark Beach
The beaches of Sunny Isles, Florida, are now under the watchful eye of a new kind of patrol officer—one that flies. The city’s police department is already seeing a major return on its new drone program, as reported by Local…
Mysterious Drone Incident Prompts Police Probe at Strongsville’s Meadow Lane Playground
A mysterious drone hovering over the Meadow Lane Apartments playground in Strongsville, Ohio, on August 23, 2025, sparked a police investigation after a resident reported suspicious activity. The drone left before police arrived, no suspects have been identified, and Strongsville…
Las Vegas Police Are Launching Drones From Rooftops, and the ACLU is Watching
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) is taking its “drone as a first responder” program to a whole new level. In a massive expansion of their Project Blue Sky, the department is installing a network of 13 “Skyports” across…
Louisiana Welsh PD Takes to the Skies with New Patrol Drones
For small police departments, having an eye in the sky has always been an unaffordable luxury, a tool reserved for big cities with helicopter budgets. But thanks to the accessibility of modern drone technology, that’s all changing. The Welsh Police…
Police Drone Tracks Down Suspect Who Fled Crash Scene in Indiana
A Knox County Sheriff’s Office drone helped locate and apprehend a suspect who fled into wooded terrain after crashing a vehicle late Thursday night, according to a report from MyWabashValley.com. Drone-Assisted Search in Cornfields and Wooded Areas The incident began…
Police Drone Led to a Wig-Wearing Thief’s “Bad Hair Day”
A thief in Castle Rock, Colorado, thought he had a clever plan. He donned a blonde wig, walked into a store, and walked out with a haul of expensive tools. But he didn’t count on the Castle Rock Police Department’s…
Police Drones in Fulton Show Success as Syracuse Weighs Launching Its Own Program
FULTON, N.Y. — The Syracuse Police Department (SPD) is seeking the city’s approval for a new drone program to assist with high-priority incidents, following the proven success of the Fulton Police Department’s aerial operations. WSYR-TV reports that Fulton’s drones have…