The Los Angeles Police Commission has given the green light for the LAPD to expand its use of drones to routine emergency calls, a decision influenced by successes seen in other police departments across the country.
On Tuesday, the civilian oversight body approved an updated policy that allows unmanned aircraft to be deployed in various scenarios, including calls for service, high-risk incidents, investigative purposes, large-scale events, and natural disasters.
The management of the drones will be shifted from the Air Support Division to the Office of Special Operations, broadening their operational scope.
Until now, the LAPD’s nine drones had been limited to responding to a narrow range of dangerous situations, with most deployments concerning barricaded suspects or explosive threats.
During the session, LAPD Cmdr. Bryan Lium emphasized the technology’s potential, stating that drone surveillance offers crucial real-time information regarding potential threats that officers might face when answering emergency calls.
Officials expressed confidence in community support for this expanded use of drones to aid in combating crime and reassured that the new policy will adhere to constitutional standards.
This recent vote clears the path for a pilot program set to commence next month, targeting four police divisions: Topanga, West L.A., Harbor, and Central, which are spread across the department’s four geographical bureaus.
Commissioner Rasha Gerges Shields pointed out that the previous policy was
image source from：latimes
