A drone is seen in the sky as Chinese drone maker DJI holds a demonstration to display an app that tracks a drone's registration and owner in Montreal, Canada, November 13, 2019.
Belmont is moving forward with a new drone program, which will equip the police department as well as other first responders and public works officials with the technology for the first time.
Unmanned aerial systems, as they’re officially known, have become more commonplace nationwide. But smaller cities, such as Belmont, have been slower to adopt such programs, though it began discussing the possibility in more detail earlier this year.
Police Capt. Andrew Armando added the drones could have helped solve a couple missing person cases, specifically those which involved individuals left in densely wooded areas or harsh environments.
“Years ago, Paul Farmer was missing, and we had a significant search area. It was very large, but unfortunately for us, he ventured outside the search area,” Armando said. “A drone, during the day and especially at night, would have been able to continue that search in larger areas, and we could’ve potentially had a different and better outcome.”
Staff time could also be freed up due to efficiency gains as well. Public Works employees can “expedite infrastructure inspections, monitor construction projects, and assess damage after natural disasters,” according to a staff report. It can also be used to monitor wildlife and vegetation in the city’s parks.
Similar to other technology that can be used for law enforcement and security purposes, however, drone programs have raised concern from a surveillance and privacy perspective. Some activists and nonprofits have warned against baking them into law enforcement protocol for event monitoring, such as during large protests.
A similar privacy issue was raised during a recent discussion over the city’s automated license plate reader program, with data sharing and retention policies being the chief concerns. At least 10 ALPR data violations have been discovered in Bay Area cities and counties over the past few years. In 2021, Marin County Sheriff Robert Doyle was sued after findings surfaced that his agency was providing ALPR data to hundreds of federal and out-of-state agencies, such as ICE and Customs and Border Protection.
“It's really important to me to make sure that the policy we have has a strong consideration of protecting people’s privacy and it’s just those officers who have all the ethical and physical training of it,” Vice Mayor Gina Latimerlo said.
All councilmembers were supportive of the program, reiterating that any new technology, including drones, can be abused, though that shouldn’t preclude cities from adopting them entirely.
“Any technology invented by the human mind can be abused by somebody, somewhere, sometime for some improper purpose, but that’s not a reason to never adopt new technology. It’s a reason to have good training and policies and a culture of proper use of these assets,” Councilmember Tom McCune said.
The total anticipated startup cost for a drone program is estimated to be about $15,000, with each drone projected to cost about $1,000 to $3,000.
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
Daily Journal staff
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