In 2023, more than 1,400 out of roughly 18,000 police departments in the United States were using and flying drones as part of their public safety and law enforcement toolkit. This number will likely increase as the government recognizes the advantages of deploying drone technology for various public safety agencies. The next step is using a law enforcement transcription company to convert the drone’s audio into text for use in court.
However, the road to mass adoption will be challenging. Drone operations in public safety scenarios can create the image of a surveillance state, à la 1984—not a good look. So, how can law enforcement and public safety agencies promote the safe and legal use of drones while maintaining citizens’ privacy?
In this article, you’ll learn how:
- Over 1,400 U.S. police departments now use drones for search and rescue and crime scene investigations.
- Drones enhance public safety but raise privacy concerns. Agencies must address these by implementing transparency measures and engaging with the community to ensure responsible drone use.
- Effective drone programs require operators to be trained in both flying and regulatory compliance, with continuous training essential for adapting to evolving drone technology and FAA regulations.
Use Cases of Public Safety Drones
Here’s a table that outlines the most common uses for drones in public safety scenarios:
| Use Case | Description | Benefits |
| Search and Rescue | Drones equipped with FLIR thermal cameras to locate missing persons in difficult terrains. | Quick deployment, covers large areas, and enhances survival chances. |
| Disaster Response | Drones assess damage after natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes. | Provides real-time data, helps prioritize rescue efforts. |
| Surveillance and Monitoring | Drones monitor large events, protests, or high-risk areas for safety and crowd control. | Reduces patrol manpower needs, offers a bird’s-eye view. |
| Firefighting | Drones equipped with thermal imaging to detect hotspots and track fire spread. | Increases firefighter safety, improves response strategies. |
| Crime Scene Investigation | Drones capture aerial photos and videos for evidence collection and scene analysis. | Provides detailed and timely data, preserves evidence integrity. |
| Traffic Management | Drones monitor traffic flow, manage congestion, and assist in accident investigations. | Improves traffic flow, quickens response to accidents. |
| Hazardous Material Response | Drones assess dangerous situations involving hazardous materials without risking human lives. | Enhances safety, quickens the assessment process. |
| Perimeter Security | Drones monitor the perimeter of secure facilities or events for unauthorized activity. | Provides continuous monitoring, reduces security breaches. |
| Public Health Monitoring | Drones are used to spray disinfectants, monitor public health, or deliver medical supplies. | Improves public health response, especially in pandemics. |
| Wildlife and Environmental Protection | Drones track wildlife, monitor illegal hunting, or assess environmental damage. | Enhances conservation efforts, reduces illegal activities |
Disadvantages of Drone Use
While having drones can certainly help public safety officials, they come with their own set of headaches, like:
Privacy Concerns
Drones with continuous recording capabilities may capture things that aren’t supposed to be seen. One of the top concerns for private citizens is drones recording private moments in or within the confines of their homes. Some even say that utilizing drones for police surveillance is one slippery slope away from the Orwellian nightmare of unmanned drones crisscrossing the skies to patrol and watch citizens at all times of the day.
One way to address privacy concerns is by providing transparency regulations to build trust with the public. Law enforcement agencies can allow citizens to voice their concerns, request data or footage removal, and demonstrate how drones are used responsibly for applicable operations. They can also hold public forums or publish case studies to communicate how they responsibly use drones for public safety.
Security Vulnerabilities
Low-flying drones can be intercepted, making their contents vulnerable to unauthorized use. They can also be hacked, though stringent security measures can mitigate that issue. However, it is still an issue that police forces all over the U.S. need to face.
Limited Payload Capacity
Some drones can carry a payload of up to 220 kg or about 500 lbs. However, those units are often bulky and expensive, which may not fit public safety requirements. Most drone units are limited to what and how much equipment they can carry, affecting their usability in certain scenarios.
High Costs
Drones with high-resolution cameras can have hefty price tags, making public safety officials hesitant to adopt them into their operations. Mid-tier drones cost anywhere from $600 to $1,000 each—a significant investment, even considering their function and use.
However, different public safety agencies, such as police departments, firefighters, and search and rescue teams, can pool their resources together to mitigate the high initial costs. Resource-sharing drones can also be an effective way to maximize their use.
Training and Certification Requirements
Flying skills aren’t the only requirement for drone operators. They must also be trained in data and privacy regulations to avoid any legal or potentially moral issues. Local regulations involving licensing, flying clearance, weight limits, proximity to people, and no-fly zones must also be observed. Continuous training is also required as drone technology advances at break-neck speeds.
The Federal Aviation Administration also has several requirements for launching a public safety drone program. According to the FAA’s website, drone programs can be operated under these applicable laws:
- Fly under 14 CFR part 107, the small UAS rule. Part 107 allows operations of drones or unmanned aircraft system (UAS) under 55 pounds at or below 400 feet above ground level (AGL) for visual line-of-sight operations only.
- Fly under the statutory requirements for public aircraft (49 U.S.C. §40102(a) and § 40125). Operate with a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) to be able to self-certify UAS and operators for flights performing governmental functions.
Risk Management
As said earlier, drones can be a significant investment. Risk management is a must in their use, and it involves evaluating environmental factors, obstacles, flight planning, and safety protocols for both the operator and bystanders.
Advantages of Using Drones In Public Safety Scenarios
Now that we have the cons out of the way, let’s discuss the pros. Law enforcement agencies and first responders can take advantage of these massive benefits of drone use in their operations:
Quick Deployment and Response
Response time is among the most important considerations in any public safety scenario. Police, SWAT, firefighters, and EMTs must be at the scene as fast as possible to assess the situation, develop tactics, or decide on the best course of action.
Deploying nearly drones ahead of the emergency responders can significantly shave off time by allowing them to see the situation before getting there. Planning can be done while en route, making it easier to jump into action once they get on the scene.
Customizable Equipment
Drones can also be equipped with different tools for the job, like HD cameras, thermal imaging, loudspeakers, clamps and mounts, batteries, or rescue essentials. They can also come with antennas that provide live streaming in case of public broadcast use, spare batteries for extended flight time, clamps and mounts for evidence pick-up, and more. This modular approach can help law enforcement and rescue agencies customize their drones to suit different scenarios.
Reduced Manpower Requirements
Police officer shortages are a real issue. In early 2024, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said that crime levels had dramatically risen after the city lost almost 40% of its police force. Officers in the City of Lakes are now required to work a lot of overtime, and some police departments may even be in worse positions.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department uses drones for high-crime areas and traffic investigations. Their drone program has improved their response times, among other things, and has decreased crime rates by their presence alone. Drones also helped police officers stabilize traffic during the Dubai Expo, a six-month-long event.
While drones are not a one-to-one tradeoff for an actual cop in uniform, having them available for low-level surveillance and monitoring activities can significantly reduce manpower requirements. Once deployed, drones and their operators mark an area or person of interest, allowing police officers to focus on other tasks while being available to respond at the first sign of trouble.
Access to Difficult or Dangerous Areas
In 2023, a 7.8 and 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and a portion of Syria in what is now known as the deadliest natural disaster in modern history. The earthquakes leveled entire city blocks and affected more than 4 million structures. Access to most of these structures was severely limited, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach survivors. The responders used drones to survey collapsed buildings, look for heat signatures, and map out safe paths for workers to get to them.
Improved Evidence Collection and Preservation
Drones and unmanned aerial vehicles give responders and law enforcement personnel a comprehensive view of the terrain they’re working with before they even get in. Such access to imagery may not be possible via traditional ways, but it can present a significant tactical advantage.
Furthermore, drones are not easily reachable and are thus difficult to tamper with, making it easy to collect and preserve video and audio evidence for court proceedings.
However, the process doesn’t have to end with recording video evidence. Law enforcement agencies can take the next step forward and enlist a safe, reliable, CJIS-certified transcription company to transcribe footage taken by their drone programs. Ditto Transcripts fits that description to a T.
What to Expect From Ditto Transcripts?
Ditto Transcripts offers the following to all law enforcement and public safety agencies in the United States:
- 99% Accuracy Guarantee: We commit to delivering the highest accuracy rates for drone surveillance and law enforcement transcription.
- Electronic file delivery within 24 hours: We understand that transcripts are crucial for investigations and court proceedings. That’s why we can guarantee file deliveries as fast as 24 hours. Large batches or longer projects may take up to 1-2 weeks. This allows us to balance speed with accuracy.
- 50% Cost Savings vs. In-house Rates: Save hundreds of thousands a year by opting out of hiring in-house and outsourcing your transcription needs to experts like us.
- Print-Ready, Court-Certified Formatting: We follow your documentation guidelines to the letter. All our transcribers are also ready and willing to stand by their work under oath. Simply request certified transcripts, and we’ll take care of it.
- CJIS-Compliant U.S. Transcribers with Clear Backgrounds: Every step of our drone transcription process complies with CJIS guidelines.
- Language Translation: You don’t need to divvy up the work to different providers. We also offer translation processes for Spanish, German, French, Italian, and more languages.
- Per-Minute Pricing Disclosed Upfront: Billing details are discussed upfront so you don’t get surprises when the final bill comes around.
- Unlimited Customer Service: Our services don’t stop at file delivery. We’ll address any questions or requests for corrections as soon as possible. Call or email us, and we’ll provide real-time assistance.
- No Long-Term Contracts Required: We don’t tie down our clients with long-term contracts or commitments. You can give us as little or as much transcription work as needed, and you will be charged the same transparent and affordable rates.
Maximize Public Safety Drones With Ditto’s Transcription Services
Do you need a reliable service provider with a clean track record to assist law enforcement and public safety entities? Ditto Transcripts is your best choice when looking for a drone transcription provider.
Our seasoned team possesses experience and quality focus to efficiently transform surveillance evidence into actionable text formats with the precision you can trust. We’re the best service provider in the industry and are more than willing to put our money where our mouth is with our free, no-strings-attached trial. Call us now to experience the difference.
Ditto Transcripts is a Denver, Colorado-based, CJIS-compliant law enforcement transcription services company that provides fast, accurate, and affordable transcripts for law enforcement departments and agencies of all sizes. Call (720) 287-3710 today for a free quote, and ask about our free five-day trial.
