Emeryville council directs staff to amend military-equipment rules to allow police drones

The Emeryville City Council voted unanimously to direct staff to amend the citys military equipment ordinance to authorize the purchase and use of drones by the Emeryville Police Department, after a study-session presentation from the department.

Captain Dower, leading the departments presentation, told the council the police department was "looking for direction on a drone program, which is also referred to as a, unmanned aerial system." He described common uses including search and rescue, disaster response and damage assessment, crime-scene documentation, traffic and accident reconstruction, fire-scene thermal imaging, and rapid aerial support as alternatives to helicopters. Dower told the council drones can improve officer safety and speed response times and that training and transparency measures would accompany any program.

The councils direction requires staff to prepare a written policy and to include any proposed drone purchases in the citys AB 481 military-equipment report. Dower said the department already plans a transparency portal with incident-based reporting and annual council reports, and emphasized prohibited uses: random surveillance, targeting individuals on the basis of protected characteristics, harassment, personal business use, or weaponization. He also described training and certification expectations: pilots certified under FAA Part 107 and the California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) 32-hour UAS basic pilot course.

Council members pressed Dower on capabilities, procurement and civil-liberties safeguards. Council member Solomon asked whether drone use would be constrained by Emeryvilles sanctuary policies; Dower replied that "any police activity that we do will comply" with the citys immigration policy. Vice mayor Kerr said the council should authorize the use with the limitations presented and asked for direction; after the city attorney advised the council to provide direction to staff, the council voted to direct staff to amend the ordinance and return with the proposed ordinance and policy.

The council also discussed program scope and initial equipment recommendations. Dower recommended starting with two types of systems: a larger long-endurance aerial platform for wide-area views, and smaller tactical drones designed for indoor or close-quarters work; he estimated initial system costs could range from about $15,000 for a basic system to $150,000 for more complex systems. The department indicated it would phase purchases based on funding availability and pursue FAA public-safety authorizations.

The motion passed unanimously in roll call. Council members emphasized the requirement that any use be reported to council annually and that the policy include incident reporting, oversight, and a public transparency portal. The council did not vote to approve specific purchases at this meeting; staff were directed to draft the ordinance revisions and policy language for a future hearing.

Community members did not provide public comment on the item during the meeting. The council recorded no dissent on the direction and confirmed limits on prohibited use and compliance with federal and state law.