San Francisco city officials say that crime has hit a decade-low and contributed some of that success to the city’s new public safety drone program.
San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed, San Francisco Police Chief William Scott, and District Attorney of San Francisco Brooke Jenkins announced earlier this month that the use of drones has helped the city “continue its progress in public safety,” and has successfully provided air support to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) for the first time in 24 years.
“New technology is helping us make San Francisco safer and continue to hold people accountable when they break the law in our city,” said Breed. “This is about being smarter on crime by giving our officers the tools to better do their jobs. For too long, San Francisco chose to stand in the way of this kind of progress, but now thanks to the voters we are delivering real change and modernizing our police force.”
Drones have been employed to apprehend suspects by observing suspects and then alerting SFPD to their location, according to footage played at a briefing.
So far, six drones have been deployed with “more on the way,” according to the release. The drones work by integrating with other technologies, such as Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) – which are high-speed, automated cameras – and other camera devices.
Drones are regulated by policies which the SFPD said ensure responsible use with “safeguards to protect the privacy of citizens.” Drone operators hold a Part 107 certification – a remote pilots license – which is administered by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Authorized first under Proposition E – which was approved by voters after appearing on the ballot earlier this year – drones may be used for vehicle pursuits and active criminal investigations. They may also use facial recognition technology.
Breed touted the success of public cameras earlier this summer, stating that cameras led to arrests for various crimes after installing some of the 400 planned ALPR cameras. The cameras were also approved by Proposition E.
