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Seaside police chief credits drones, social media for fireworks enforcement
Summary
The Seaside police chief described concentrated enforcement around July 4, use of drones and DroneSense mapping, hundreds of confiscated fireworks (including M-80s), and said the city collected over $50,000 in fines last year; the chief emphasized data retention practices and limits on federal sharing.
Seaside’s police chief reported on the department’s July 4 enforcement strategy, saying coordinated use of a text hotline, a mobile command post and drone teams helped identify and seize large quantities of illegal fireworks.
"Last year the city of Seaside collected over $50,000 in fines in 1 year," the chief said, adding that live social-media feeds and DroneSense mapping helped direct drone assets and patrol units to hot spots. The chief described using as many as five drones in one night and said the department’s workflow matched incoming text reports to a command post for near-real-time dispatch.
The chief also described a recent on-camera seizure that included numerous M-80-type explosives and said enforcement included administrative citations that are processed through the city attorney’s office. The chief said two citations were issued at the start of the meeting and estimated total fireworks-related citations were in the "upper forties or mid-forties" but noted he was not certain of the exact number.
On privacy and data-sharing questions involving the Flock camera system, the chief said Seaside stores most camera data for 30 days unless it is tied to evidence, and that the city does not share its Flock data with federal entities such as ICE. He acknowledged risks and said agencies must manage access settings carefully to prevent improper use.
