That number was up more than 93% compared to 2020.ĭespite justification for the equipment being for use in emergency situations, nearly half of those uses (1,042) were “over a public area for officer training or public relations purposes.” UAVs were used “during or in the aftermath of an emergency situation that involves the risk of death or bodily harm to a person” about 23% of the time (512). Minnesota law enforcement agencies used drones without a search warrant more than 2,200 times in 2021, according to a legislative report by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from earlier this summer that looked at drone usage by public safety agencies statewide. A drone can much more quickly help police determine the size and scope of a natural disaster like a flash flood, for example.Ī 2020 law requires all law enforcement agencies statewide to report when they deployed drones without a search warrant, the reason for deploying the equipment, how many times and how much it cost. He said the UAVs can be sent into places officers can’t normally reach, like the tops of some buildings, as well as situations that could put an officer’s life in danger. In a presentation to Minneapolis City Council public health and safety committee members late last month, MPD Commander Jonathon Kingsbury said the department plans to use drones to “enhance response to public safety emergencies and needs.” That includes crime scene and accident reconstruction, search and rescue, and other active emergency situations.Īs of the end of August, Minneapolis had 604 sworn officers, but that number drops to 571 when you subtract 33 officers on a continuous leave of 78 hours (roughly two weeks) or more, according to data from the city.Īmid staffing issues, using drones, “we can cover a lot of area quickly in search of a lost child, vulnerable adult or even a suspect much more so than officers on foot or in squad cars,” Kingsbury said.
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