Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Trophy Club police outline drone program, order American-made drone and adopt restrictive usage policy
Summary
The chief told the March 18 board the department has funded a single American-made drone, expects delivery in five to six months, will restrict use to operational needs (missing-person searches, traffic crashes, special events) and will retain video 30 days unless it becomes evidence; the chief said earlier low-cost foreign models were ruled out after federal restrictions.
The Trophy Club police chief updated the Crime Control and Prevention District board on March 18 about a funded drone program that will be limited to operational uses and will use an American-made aircraft due to federal restrictions on non-U.S. manufactured models.
"We ordered a drone. It's going to take us five to six months to get the drone," the chief said, adding the department is working with a U.S. company to obtain a model that meets procurement and federal requirements. He told the board the department planned to train operators, coordinate a Certificate of Authorization (COA) with federal authorities and maintain logbooks and maintenance records as part of a "mini aviation program." Officers will also obtain Part 107 pilot certification while operating under the department's COA.
On policy, the chief said the department will prohibit random surveillance, targeting of private residences, harassment and personal-business flights. He said the drone would be used for specific public-safety tasks such as search for missing people, traffic-accident imagery, special-event monitoring and crime-scene documentation; only one drone is currently planned, with an operator assigned on each shift so the device can be deployed at any time.
The chief discussed costs and retention: he said the department expected to pay about $23,000 for one U.S.-made drone and noted earlier American quotes had been about $40,000 while lower-priced foreign models had been priced around $15,000 before the federal restriction. Video data will be retained for 30 days unless preserved for a criminal case, and separate flight logs will be kept to respond to public inquiries.
The board was told staff will publicize the program and provide demonstrations once the aircraft arrives. Training will be scheduled for several officers and the department plans at least one trained operator per shift when the program is active.
