Arlington County, Virginia – located on the outskirts of Washington, DC – is one of America’s five richest counties.  So, when its crime rate spikes, as it has since 2021, the county’s 200,000 residents start getting nervous.  But responding to the crisis hasn’t been easy.  Cutbacks in the county budget and low police salaries have made it difficult for the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) to beef up its manpower levels to address the latest crime surge.

But with drones, the ACPD may have found a cost-effective answer.

The ACPD’s new drone proposal – available for public comment over the next 30 days – sets out more than a half dozen potential drone missions, from enhanced crime scene analysis and vehicle accident reporting to expedited criminal pursuit and search-and-rescue missions. All of these missions consume large amounts of manpower, time and resources.  But with drones, the ACPD says it can improve its crime-fighting edge while reducing its operational costs.

Police departments across the country – roughly 1,500, about 8% of the total number – have accomplished this same feat while steadily expanding the size of their drone fleets.  Some purchased their first UAVs well over a decade ago and despite some initial skepticism, public support for their use has grown

What’s taken the ACPD so long?

Partly, it’s the unique safety and security environment of the nation’s capital. Washington, DC has two major airports, plus the Pentagon, a dozen national monuments, and hundreds of federal government buildings – including the White House and the U.S. Capitol – all of them located in a relatively small, densely populated area.  Under FAA regulations, UAVs cannot fly within 5 miles of an airport and must avoid flying over military installations, landmarks and government buildings.

Because of these restrictions, much of downtown Washington and its surrounding ex-urbs constitute a veritable “no-fly” zone – technically navigable but too complex to manage.

Second, concerns about unlawful drone police surveillance and potential privacy abuses are especially prominent in this area.  This is true in other cities like New York and Chicago with traditions of civic protest.  But in the nation’s capital, fear of “Big Brother” is heightened by the nearby presence of the FBI and federal spy agencies like the NSA and CIA.  Civic groups have sued these agencies in the past.  To many in officialdom, using drones in the nation’s capital has long seemed like a political and legal minefield.

The experience of law enforcement in nearby Fauquier County suggests how deep public suspicion of drones can run in this region.  County officials attempted to implement a police UAV program with great fanfare back in 2018.  But vocal citizen resistance – much of it based on fear not facts – soon forced the county to shelve the plan.  It was a disappointing experience that rippled across local police agencies, further dampening the region’s enthusiasm for drones.

Indeed, until the ACPD’s surprise announcement last week, no law enforcement agency in the Washington, DC area had seriously discussed using police drones for well over five years.

What’s changed?  Largely it’s been the exponential growth of police drone programs elsewhere and their demonstrated track record of success.  In addition,  the widespread adoption of strict department protocols that prohibit warrantless routine surveillance and the use of facial recognition technology have dampened public concerns about drone privacy abuses.

But it’s Arlington’s chronic police staffing shortages that may have finally put drones back in play. The ACPD has been looking at a wide range of technology options of late to improve their operational efficiency, including the installation of thousands of traffic cameras to conduct speed monitoring and automated ticketing, With new technology in place, cops on the beat are freed up to focus on major crimes.   UAVs offer a similar advantage.  Drones can substitute a single eye in the sky for a phalanx of police officers, reducing the size of deployments.  In the case of crime and accident scene analysis, drones can conduct the same work far more quickly – minutes in place of hours.  And with drones, the threat of violent encounters – and deaths and injuries to officers and suspects – is reduced.

It’s not just manpower substitution.  Drones can also take the place of manned gas-powered helicopters which are far more expensive to operate and maintain, as well as noisier and more damaging to the environment.

Overall, when drones are deployed properly, in tandem with other needed upgrades in police technology, reductions in crime naturally tend to follow, studies show.

These are likely to be key selling points when the ACPD, in tandem presents its drone budget request early next year.  In anticipation of approval, the county has already set aside about $300,000 to fund the new drone fleet, which will be powered by DJI.

Other local jurisdictions, including nearby Montgomery County, Maryland, where  car-jackings and other violent crimes have spiked in recent months, are also warming to police drones.  The MCPD is planning to become one of just two dozen law enforcement departments nationwide to establish a Drone as First Responder (DFR) program.  DFR allows pre-positioned police drones to respond automatically to 911 calls in advance of arriving field officers, limiting the size of their deployments and reducing the incidence of violent confrontations.

“This technology is going to help prevent some unnecessary contacts and investigative inquiries that may not be warranted,” Captain Jason Cokinos, director of the MCPD, said last week.

“We want to be the least intrusive to the public. We only want to focus on what we need to focus on – on the crime or the call,” he added.

ACPD officials say they are prepared to explain in great detail how the department’s new drone fleet will operate, to allay lingering concerns about police abuse.

“There are people that are concerned about the surveillance that may come with the drone program. That’s why we’re reaching out to the public and the community to get their feedback, and we can make adjustments to our policies and procedures if necessary,” said Lt. Matthew Puia.

Barring major citizen objections, drones should be flying over Arlington and  Montgomery within the next six months.  For many in the region, it will be none too soon.