Fighting Crime from the Sky: Drones and UAVs for Law Enforcement

Across the nation, drones are taking off.  The devices – also called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or UAVs – are popular with hobbyists for piloting and capturing aerial footage, and have been positioned by corporation giants such as Amazon as a method for delivering goods to consumers. While drones have also been used for illicit activity such as smuggling drugs past border …

Police Chiefs Adopt UAV Code of Conduct

Police Chiefs Adopt UAV Code of Conduct

This week, at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, the nation's police chiefs agreed on 8 Operational Rules of Conduct when operating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).  Here are the 8 rules the police chiefs proposed:

1. UAV operations require a Certificate of Authorization (CAO) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). A law enforcement agency contemplating the use of UAV should contact the FAA early in the planning process to determine the requirements for obtaining a COA.

2. UAVs will only be operated by personnel, both pilots and crew members, who have been trained and certified in the operation of the system. All agency personnel with UAV responsibilities, including command officers, will be provided training in the policies and procedures governing their use.

3. All flights will be approved by a supervisor and must be for a legitimate public safety mission, training, or demonstration purposes.

4. All flights will be documented on a form designed for that purpose and all flight time shall be accounted for on the form. The reason for the flight and name of the supervisor approving will also be documented.

5. An authorized supervisor/administrator will audit flight documentation at regular intervals. The results of the audit will be documented. Any changes to the flight time counter will be documented.

6. Unauthorized use of a UAV will result in strict accountability.

7. Except for those instances where officer safety could be jeopardized, the agency should consider using a “Reverse 911” telephone system to alert those living and working in the vicinity of aircraft operations (if such a system is available). If such a system is not available, the use of patrol car public address systems should be considered. This will not only provide a level of safety should the aircraft make an uncontrolled landing, but citizens may also be able to assist with the incident.

8. Where there are specific and articulable grounds to believe that the UA will collect evidence of criminal wrongdoing and if the UAV will intrude upon reasonable expectations of privacy, the agency will secure a search warrant prior to conducting the flight.

Read more: Police chiefs adopt drone code of conduct - Washington Times