The city of Los Angeles is home to more than 4 million people.  The city receives over 48 million tourists each year as well.  The Los Angeles Police Department is the third largest municipal police department in the United States with just under 10,000 active police officers.  They are only surpassed in number by the New York City Police Department and the Chicago Police Department.  The LAPD is responsible for the safety of a 500 square mile radius and all of it’s inhabitants, both permanent and transient.  In an effort to aid in the operations of the LAPD, they have just announced that they will begin using drones on a full time basis.

The LAPD first tested a drone program for about a year, using the drones only when necessary.  This would include times when a suspect was hiding in a location that police officers on the ground or in a helicopter could not see.  After a year’s worth of training and testing the Civilian Police Commission comprised of five individuals unanimously voted to have the drones permanently instated as a police tool.  The LAPD will now be following in the footsteps of roughly 600 other police departments in the United States, like the NYPD, who have fully instated drone programs. 

However, there are some differences between the drone program being adapted by the LAPD and the rest of the forces using drones.  One of the main reasons why it took the LAPD so long to officially start a drone program was because of wide spread public backlash over the idea of drones being used by police.  Many residents were fearful of how the drones would effect their day to day lives.  Would they be accosted by the loud sound of drone over their neighborhoods?  Would they have to be wary of drones crashing onto their property?  But perhaps the biggest concern was how these police operated drones would effect the privacy of civilians.  Would these drones be used to spy on people?

Rightfully the Civilian Police Commission tasked with approving this mission took all of these points into consideration.  Therefore, the guidelines under which the LAPD will operate drones is far more restrictive than what is found in other police departments.  To begin with, the LAPD has only purchased four drones to date.  Each of these drones will only be deployed by a highly trained officer.  The drones will not be deployed until each individual case has first been approved by a commander and deputy chief.  A report on every incident in which a drone was used will also be made annually to the Police Commission.

Beyond that, the drones will only be used for specific scenarios, similar to those used during the trial run.  The drones will be deployed when a suspect is barricaded, an active shooter is on the premises, for the neutralization of explosives in a bomb threat, and to search for radioactive or explosive devices in public areas.  The regulations also state that the drones will not be equipped with any facial recognition software or weapons.  This is a stark contrast to the drone policy in place for the NYPD.  The NYPD has 14 active drones with HD cameras, facial recognition, 3D mapping, and thermal imaging.  They also use their drones in a far wider magnitude, including over crowds of people.

Communities in Los Angeles are worried that the police department will start over policing certain areas with the use of drones, infringing on the civil liberties of the public.  It is for that reason that the LAPD has instated such a restrictive drone operation.  Asst. Chief Horace Frank, head of the LAPD counter-terrorism and special operations bureau, stated that the drones will not be “used in a flippant manner”.  The drones will be used in a highly controlled manner to allow police officers to better do their jobs, while at the same time minimizing risks to civilians and police officers.

Michael Moore, Chief of Police for the LAPD is feeling very optimistic of the new permanent drone program.  He sees it as his responsibility to protect and serve the community both physically and emotionally.  He stated that drones “provide invaluable information to decision makers while decreasing the risk to human life.”  He went on to say that he is well aware of the “concerns of Big Brother and invasion of privacy and civil liberties.  We’re committed to striking the right balance that protects all of our community — their rights of privacy but also their public safety and their right to exist without threats of dangers that this tool can be used in some instances to mitigate.”