San Francisco police have reported success using drones, leading to multiple arrests and helping to improve the safety and efficiency of investigations, city officials said at a news conference Tuesday.
In March, voters approved Proposition E, which allows police to use technology such as facial recognition surveillance cameras, license plate readers and drones for pursuits and criminal investigations.
San Francisco Police Department leaders, Mayor London Breed and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins discussed Tuesday how drones have been a “game changer” given police staffing shortages.
“Drones have assisted the SFPD in numerous cases, including a sexual assault suspect who was arrested, several auto burglary suspects who were arrested, the chaos on July 4th that we were able to essentially de-escalate and bring to a successful and peaceful resolution very quickly using drones,” said Police Chief Bill Scott. “We have also arrested violent and wanted fugitives using our drone technology.”
The police have not had air support for 24 years, after two officers were killed in a helicopter crash in 2000.
Drones eliminate the need for police to conduct chases to track down suspects, which can endanger the safety of the public and officers, police said.
Officers have made several arrests recently after identifying criminal activity in the Fisherman’s Wharf area using drones. Officers on Tuesday showed drone footage of separate incidents in which suspects apparently broke into cars.
On July 26, a drone captured two suspects on dirt bikes apparently breaking into cars around The Embarcadero. The drone tracked the suspects and police were able to apprehend them, a task that is difficult when accused criminals flee on motorcycles, said Strategic Operations Capt. Christopher Del Gandio.
The next day, plainclothes officers reported seeing a group of suspects apparently peering through car windows in the same area while driving a stolen vehicle that had been identified by automatic license plate readers. A drone was deployed in response, zooming in on the crew apparently smashing car windows and stealing suitcases.
The drone was able to track the location of the car. Tire spike strips were laid down to stop the vehicle and multiple suspects were arrested, police said.
Jenkins filed charges of auto burglary against multiple individuals in both alleged burglaries, two of whom were repeat offenders. She said drone footage will help in this and future criminal trials as evidence.
“Jurors in 2024 expect to see what happened. They don’t just want to hear from a police officer what they saw or what their perspective is. They want to have the opportunity to independently evaluate the evidence in a case,” she said. “As you just saw, this is going to be the most important evidence that my prosecutors can use in court to not only establish for the jury that the correct person was arrested in terms of identity, but to actually show them and demonstrate the specific conduct that occurred.”
In response to public privacy concerns, Scott said the drones are only used for investigations.
“We don’t just fly around looking for something unless it’s a very specific mission focused on a specific crime or a serious incident,” Scott said.
The police currently have six drones, but plan to purchase more in the coming months.
“We have a duty to protect public safety in this city and now with these technological tools it’s a game changer,” Scott said. “More importantly, there’s more to come. This is just the beginning.”
