2022-03-16 City Council Item No. 5.5 Drone Program Presentation Regular MEETING - Additional Meeting MaterialsDRONE PROGRAM
MENIFEE POLICE
DEPARTMENT
What are DRONES?
MENIFEE P.D.
MPD uses drones to
police more efficiently
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The drone program
provides airborne
support to police
operations in a safe,
responsible, &
transparent manner.
sUAS (Small Unmanned Aircraft System), commonly known as DRONES,
are unmanned aircraft with a camera that are operated remotely.
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What does TRAINING consist of?
MENIFEE P.D.
Pilots must pass a difficult, Federally regulated, F.A.A. part 107 remote
pilot written test before being allowed to fly a mission.
Pilots must show proficiency in flying and controlling the drone. All flying
hours are logged in.
MPD has 10 pilots and 4 drones.
F.A.A. Part 107 or C.O.A.
MENIFEE P.D.
MPD abides by all state and federal laws regarding drone use.
MPD flies under part 107 or obtains a Certificate of Authorization (COA) waiver
F.A.A. Part 107:
Maintain a visual line of sight,
Do not fly at night,
Do not fly over crowds or moving
vehicles,
Give way to manned aircraft
Fly under 400 feet
Certificate of Authorization:
Must be applied for and good
reason shown (usually only
granted to government agencies)
Specific conditions outlined in COA
i.e., may allow night flight, fly
over crowds, and/or moving
vehicles
What does MPD use DRONES for?
MENIFEE P.D.
•Search & Rescue
•Situational Awareness
•Crime & Collision Scene Documentation
•Bomb & Hazardous Materials Observation
•Disaster Response
•Mutual Aid
•Investigating Armed & Dangerous Subjects
•Tactical Deployment
DRONES allow a trained operator to arrive on scene of a crime in
progress & transmit images live, safely before putting law enforcement
officers blindly in danger.
4th amendment & privacy concerns
MENIFEE P.D.
•MPD is committed to being 100% transparent with the
community regarding its drone use and drone policy.
•MPD does NOT use drones to conduct random surveillance
(phishing exhibition) or to record images where people have a
reasonable expectation of privacy (without a probable cause
warrant).
•Every mission we fly has a specific, law enforcement purpose.
•Every flight is recorded
DRONES are cost & time effective
MENIFEE P.D.
•Drones are relatively
inexpensive.
•Costs are minimal to fly.
•Drones can be put in the
air in a matter of minutes
when needed as opposed
to waiting for a law
enforcement helicopter.
MPD recent drone use
MENIFEE P.D.
On January 30, 2022, Officers responded to a call regarding an explosive device (Grenade) found by a
resident in a neighborhood.
A drone pilot, Officer Perez, capture video and photos of the device which the RSO Bomb Squad utilized
in their response plan.
The RSO Bomb Squad determined the grenade was real, but not live, and properly destroyed the device.
QUESTIONS?