Watching from above: Which police departments are using surveillance… (2024)

Aerial drones have become a popular tool for police departments across the country over the past five years.

Drones have been used in domestic policing around the world since the mid-2000s. Drones are equipped with cameras that can be used for surveillance.

According to the Pilot Institute, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA)’s release of the Part 107 regulations in 2016 provided a legal framework for drone use by professionals, firms and agencies, and police began acquiring drones in record numbers in 2017.

Some police claim drones are uniquely suited for search and rescue operations, gathering tactical intelligence in hostage and active shooter situations, documenting crime scenes and performing crowd control.

But this developing form of aerial surveillance has also brought about controversy, with critics citing concerns about privacy and government overreach.

In an article for the Electronic Frontier Foundation written in January, Matthew Guariglia said he expects more law enforcement agencies to deploy drones as time goes on, especially with COVID-19 relief money, funds from civil asset forfeiture, federal grants and military surplus transfers giving them the financial capacity to purchase them.

Do police have drones in Alabama?

According to a study by Bard College, as of 2020, Alabama was tied with New York and Minnesota as having the ninth most public safety drones in the country.

In that study, Alabama totaled 47 drones. Some of these were in the possession of fire departments, but most belonged to local police.

These included:

The University of Alabama in Huntsville Police Department (one drone as of 2013)
Talladega County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2017)
Southside Police Department (one drone as of 2019)
Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (two drones as of 2019)
Selma Police Department (four drones as of 2014)
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Russellville Police Department (one drone as of 2016)
Russell County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2014)
Rainbow City Police Department (one drone as of 2017)
Priceville Police Department (one drone as of 2016)
Pelham Police Department (two drones as of 2017)
North Baldwin Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2017)
Mountain Brook Police Department (one drone as of 2019)
Montgomery Police Department (one drone as of 2016)
Mobile Police Department (one drone as of 2016)
Mobile County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2018)
Limestone County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2016)
Lee County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2016)
Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2016)
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2015)
Huntsville Police Department (two drones as of 2019)
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How are Police Using Drones?
Houston County Sheriff’s Office (four drones as of 2016)
Hoover Police Department (one drone as of 2016)
Henry County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2016)
Gadsden Police Department (one drone as of 2010)
Etowah County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2016)
Daphne Police Department (one drone as of 2020)
Dallas County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2016)
Dale County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2016)
Cullman Police Department (two drones as of 2015)
Coffee County Sheriff’s Office (one drone as of 2016)
Clanton Police Department (one drone as of 2017)
Arab Police Department (one drone, date not specified)
Alabaster Police Department (one drone as of 2018)

Axon Roadshow made an appearance at the Birmingham Police Department (BPD) on Tuesday to demo Axon’s latest police technology, including virtual reality, tasers and body cameras, but also autonomous drones.

According to reports, the BPD used drones during the World Games.

BPD Public Relations Manager Keaira Turner said the BPD did not purchase any new drones.

“As far as BPD purchasing new technology, the drones will not be a part of that,” Turner said in a statement to 1819 News. “Currently, the Birmingham Police Department utilizes Axon products that feature our latest versions of body cameras and tasers. The only addition of new technology that we are looking to implement will be license plate readers to our fleets that will be added later in the year. Once that information is available, we will be able to provide more details.”

According to Forensic Magazine, Huntsville Police Department (HPD) started a new drone program. In 2021, HPD flew drones for a total of 273 hours. As of April 2022, the police department had 18 drones in total.

In April, the Tuscaloosa Sheriff’s Department replaced its helicopter unit with drones, according to reports.

Gulf Shore Police Department (GSPD) purchased two drones for around $31,500 in August, which they hope will assist them in managing large crowds at events like Hangout Music Festival and the National Shrimp Festival.

The rules around drone usage are tricky. There are currently no rules about drone usage in Alabama.

According to UAV Coach, government employees flying drones in Alabama must abide by federal law and either operate under the Part 107 rule or obtain a federal Certificate of Authorization.

To follow FAA rule 107, pilots must pass a knowledge test and register drones through the FAA.

Even more tricky is the issue of whether or not police have to obtain warrants to collect evidence with drones.

In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled in Florida v. Riley that police do not need a warrant to observe private property from public airspace. This only pertains to drones flying a certain altitude above a person’s private property, not into it.

To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email will.blakely@1819news.com or find him on Twitter and Facebook.

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Watching from above: Which police departments are using surveillance… (2024)

FAQs

What is surveillance used for police? ›

Surveillance is the covert observation of people, places and vehicles, which law enforcement agencies and private detectives use to investigate allegations of illegal behavior. These techniques range from physical observation to the electronic monitoring of conversations.

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What is an example of watchman style policing? ›

An example of how watchman style policing would be used to address a situation at hand would be teenagers out past curfew breaking into old warehouses and breaking their windows and officer that practices the watchman style of policing would issue them a warning and make them go home or call their parents.

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Are police using drones for surveillance? ›

Surveillance: Police drones can be used to monitor large crowds or areas for suspicious activity, such as illegal gatherings or drug deals.

What police agencies are using drones? ›

Drones have had a major impact in the areas of traffic crash reconstruction, reconnaissance before tactical deployments, SWAT overwatch, hostage situations, forensic investigations, patrol-deployed operations, searches for lost persons, tethered operations, traffic pattern evaluation and first response.

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What are the 3 types of surveillance? ›

The three types of surveillance are direct, preconstructive, and reconstructive.

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What are the examples of surveillance? ›

Generally, surveillance is electronic or fixed. Electronic surveillance includes wiretapping, bugging, videotaping, geolocation tracking, data mining, social media mapping, and the monitoring of data and traffic on the internet.

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What are the 3 styles of policing? ›

The police decide which laws to enforce, a process known as discretion. James Q. Wilson identified three styles of policing: watchman style, legalistic style, and service style.

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What is a watchman in policing? ›

Watchmen were organised groups of men, usually authorised by a state, government, city, or society, to deter criminal activity and provide law enforcement as well as traditionally perform the services of public safety, fire watch, crime prevention, crime detection, and recovery of stolen goods.

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What is the FBI watchman style of policing? ›

The Watchman Style is a style of policing that focuses on order maintenance rather than code enforcement. The Watchman Style of policing is primarily used in small towns and neighborhoods where officers prioritize maintaining order over enforcing the law.

What do police drones look like at night? ›

How Do You Spot A Police Drone At Night? During nighttime operations, police drones are equipped with distinctive red and green lights, akin to those seen on airplanes. The red lights are positioned on the left side of the drone, while the right side features green lights.

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What can police drones see at night? ›

Police drones have infrared cameras and thermal imaging capabilities that allow them to see through walls and windows. They are able to do this through a process called Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR). This kind of vision doesn't just work in daylight; it also works at night—even if there is no moonlight!

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How far up do police drones fly? ›

The maximum altitude and drone altitude limits of police drones are influenced by their size and capabilities. Their rated operating altitude can range from 1,200 feet above the ground to a flight level of more than 22,000 feet, and their service ceiling can range from 50 to 60,000 feet.

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How do you tell if feds are following you? ›

When the feds decided to target you for an investigation involving federal contracts, they are common signs to watch out for ( see below). The most common signs of being under investigation include talking to your friends, employees acting abnormally, and even an investigator leaving a business card on your door.

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How do you tell if a police drone is following you? ›

A drone follows you mostly when spying, and a human operator directs it. You can quickly locate and ascertain a drone is following you by observing its frequency near your property, the noises, and using technologies like radio frequencies and radar detectors.

How many police departments are using drones? ›

Across the country, police departments are using myriad means and resources at their disposal to stock up on drones. According to the most recent tally on the Atlas of Surveillance (a project of EFF and the University of Nevada), at least 1,172 police departments nationwide are using drones.

What are the purpose in the use of surveillance? ›

Surveillance is used by citizens for protecting their neighborhoods. And by governments for intelligence gathering - including espionage, prevention of crime, the protection of a process, person, group or object, or the investigation of crime.

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How do police use surveillance cameras? ›

Capturing key evidence: Surveillance cameras often capture images and footage that can be used to identify suspects, their vehicles, and other important details that can help solve a crime. This footage can be used to build a case against a suspect and can be crucial in securing a conviction.

What can surveillance be used to determine? ›

Among the uses of surveillance are detecting individual cases of diseases of public health importance (e.g., malaria), supporting planning (e.g., priority setting), monitoring trends and patterns of health-related conditions (e.g., elevated blood lead levels), and supporting evaluation of prevention and control ...

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How do you know if you are under surveillance? ›

Confirming Physical Surveillance

One way to confirm surveillance is to use the TEDD approach: Time, Environment, Distance and Demeanor. Assume you're under surveillance if you see someone repeatedly over time, in different environments and over distance.

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