It looks like drone technology will be standard inventory for police operations the world over; and today it is the turn of the Los Angeles Police Department in California, USA.
Reports from the country note that the LA Police Commission this Tuesday unanimously approved a $2.1 million donation to significantly expand its Drone as First Responder program, which gives leeway for the department to deploy dozens more drones to certain calls for service across the city.
Commander Bryan Lium, who presented an update on the pilot program, said the drones often arrived at scenes faster than patrol officers in vehicles. The aircraft is equipped with high-definition video and thermal imaging, allowing officers to assess whether people were armed or if other safety threats were present before officers arrived.
The department plans to install the docking stations at eight police facilities, as well as at Palisades Village, The Grove LA, Vineyards Porter Ranch and Avenue of the Stars.
Lium said that those locations were selected because the program relied in part on $1.8 million in grant funding intended to curb retail theft and because the sites expanded the drone’s operational range.
There was concerns about privacy though, with several commissioners raising concerns about how the footage and other data captured by the drones would be stored and secured.
“You hear drones and it’s a polarising conversation,” said Commissioner Jeffrey Skobin, as quoted by the LA Local.
“Do we have full control of the data?”
To which police Officer Darren Castro responded. “We are in complete control of that data.”
Several people who attended the meeting also expressed worry that they feared the drones could be used by the department for unauthorised surveillance.
“It’s not just mission creep, it’s creepy,” one public commenter said.
Public trust in police has recently wavered as many have questioned how the LAPD is protecting residents amid widespread crackdowns on the immigrant population in the US by agents working for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
And scrutiny has recently intensified after reports of how police collect, use and share data.
American drone maker Skydio is the contracted partner that will supply the drones and related software to the LAPD. The company has also unveiled a public website that allows residents to track drone flights.
“Skydio has no rights in this period for trial and moving forward to control those data captures and what goes into the cloud,” Officer Castro said.
“We have complete control and they have an extensive audit log of who goes in and any changes to those data captures.”
He added that drone pilots activate cameras only after an aircraft arrives at the scene of the call.
Which is a really interesting declaration – because Skydio drones use a combination of advanced computer vision, 360-degree cameras, and AI, specifically their Skydio Autonomy Engine, to fly, navigate, and avoid obstacles in real-time.
They also utilise GPS for navigation and to enable features like returning to the controller, particularly when operating at higher altitudes.
So if they are not using cameras while in flight, how are they getting to their targeted destinations?
Once a drone returns to its docking station, he said, flight data — including video recordings — are automatically uploaded and sent directly to the department’s evidence database.
The LAPD launched its Drone as First Responder pilot program in June 2025 and as of the latest meeting yesterday, nine officers and two supervisors had been trained to operate the drones, with plans to train additional personnel.