Ongoing Training and Education – Keeping your drone team up to date with federal, state, and local regulations as well as department policy and software functionality requires a coordinated effort. Develop a plan for ongoing maintenance and support of your drones and equipment. This may include regular inspections, repairs, and upgrades, as well as procedures for handling any issues that may arise during operations. Plan for continuing education of five to ten hours of training and flight time per month for each member of your drone team. This may include hands-on training with the drones, as well as classroom instruction on topics such as airspace rules, weather patterns, and emergency procedures. Develop a plan for ongoing maintenance and support of your drones and equipment.

Identify the purpose and goals of your drone program. What do you want to accomplish with your drones, and how will they fit into your overall operations? There are many uses for drones in law enforcement, so first identify your priorities for your initial drone program. Do you want your UAS to provide real-time situational awareness, search and rescue support, 3D modeling or something else? The top uses for drones in law enforcement include but are not limited to:

Budget Considerations – You can start a drone program including hardware, software, licensing, and training, with as little as $5,000. But you’ll also need to plan for long-term costs and staffing implications in terms of maintenance and continuing education.

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The Blackhawk TASER® 7 Holster features a distinctive draw motion that helps prevent confusing weapons under stress. This cross-draw or support-hand draw design allows for rocking the TASER out of the holster.

To find out how your agency can benefit from an effective drone program, schedule a free consultation by completing the contact form below or call us direct at (800) 918-9128.

There are several grant opportunities available to first responders, with some of these being ongoing programs. Although, in most cases, you may be limited to what airframe you can buy. Certain restrictions include stipulations from government grants that only allow for USA-made drones. If you intend to apply for those types of grants, make sure to check the Blue List for confirmation on authorized gear. Here is a select list of resources to help you find an opportunity that best suits your requirements:

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Develop a comprehensive safety plan that outlines how you will ensure the safety of your drones, your team, and any individuals or property that may be impacted by your operations.

The Blackhawk TASER® 7 Holster features a distinctive draw motion that helps prevent confusing weapons under stress. This cross-draw or support-hand draw design allows for rocking the TASER out of the holster.

Once you work out a drone program budget, you’ll need to find funding. This is where your earlier efforts to gain community support will come in handy. Grants and community partnerships can also help offset costs.

LE DRONES is a premier supplier of high-tech Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) serving law enforcement, fire services, rescue organizations, and public safety professionals. Our products include cutting-edge FLIR optics and Thermal Imaging Cameras (TICs)

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By following these steps and taking the time to carefully plan and prepare, you can set your drone program up for success.

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Starting a drone program can be a complex and involved process, but it can also be a rewarding and exciting venture. There’s no question that drones, or unmanned aerial systems (UAS), have a place in law enforcement. They provide air support at a fraction of the cost of traditional aviation and have infinitely more uses. Departments are deploying drones at a record-breaking pace. But given the stringent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and the public’s understandable concerns surrounding privacy, it’s imperative to be strategic and take the proper steps when implementing a drone program.

The Blackhawk TASER® 7 Holster features a distinctive draw motion that helps prevent confusing weapons under stress. This cross draw or support hand draw design allows for rocking the TASER out of the holster versus a traditional straight up handgun draw. When holstering the TASER, the holster automatically engages the active retention mechanism and TASER safety switch.

Even if you think your community will be supportive of a public safety drone program, you should still consider engaging in community outreach to educate the public and gain support. Transparency is the best policy. In any community, a certain number of people will have privacy concerns that need to be addressed. Follow these best practices when it comes to community relations:

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Seek support from your community and conduct a thorough needs assessment to determine the type of drones and equipment that will best meet your needs for a 24/7 emergency operation. Consider factors such as the type of environment you will be operating in, the tasks you will be performing, and the skills and experience of your team. Drones give law enforcement the ability to fly small, quiet, and often unnoticeable aircraft equipped with video cameras and other payloads in places previously inaccessible to aircraft and ground vehicles. Citizens will understandably have questions about how your drone program will affect their privacy, namely: What will police do with the data obtained by these aircrafts? Will you use drones to look in backyards? In windows? How will you ensure public privacy and avoid misuse?

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Factor into your budget how many people will be on your drone team. If your agency will be operating a free-flying drone, the FAA requires anyone involved in drone operations to obtain a remote pilot certification, also called an FAA Part 107 license, which requires the completion of a 20-hour online course and in-person FAA test.

The TASER® 7 Holster includes our new Quick Dual Release (QDR) Holster Platform, allowing officers to exchange the TASER and holster between shifts without having to remove other items from their duty belt. It is also compatible with all Blackhawk duty platforms, included belt loops, QD systems, MOLLE adapters and tactical thigh platforms. 

Be sure to consider your jurisdiction and its airspace when identifying goals for your drone program. You’ll need to cross-reference desired uses with local and state laws and regulations and consider how factors such as topography, weather and urban landscape will affect how you’ll deploy and use your drones.

If a large portion of your jurisdiction’s airspace is restricted, you might consider a tethered drone, which has limited range at any given time but continuous power. There is even a tethered drone solution, Tethered drones, which are highly portable and can be set up on a rooftop or department vehicle, are often used for monitoring large crowds at special events and for traffic management.

The Blackhawk TASER® 7 Holster features a distinctive draw motion that helps prevent confusing weapons under stress. This cross draw or support hand draw design allows for rocking the TASER out of the holster versus a traditional straight up handgun draw. When holstering the TASER, the holster automatically engages the active retention mechanism and TASER safety switch. The TASER® 7 Holster includes our new Quick Dual Release (QDR) Holster Platform, allowing officers to exchange the TASER and holster between shifts without having to remove other items from their duty belt. It is also compatible with all Blackhawk duty platforms, included belt loops, QD systems, MOLLE adapters and tactical thigh platforms. 

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Obtain any necessary licenses and permits from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or other relevant regulatory agencies. This may include obtaining a Remote Pilot Certificate and registering your drones. Agencies may also cover their pilots under Public Agency Certificate of Authorization.

Remember that you may stand to gain from a drone program. Could a drone obtain data you would otherwise need to send an officer for? Could it enhance officer safety as well as the safety of the public and therefore reduce liability? Now’s the time to perform a cost-benefit analysis.

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To make your drone team even more effective, consider providing public safety drone training on topics specific to law enforcement, such as policies and case law associated with when a UAS should/should not be deployed, how to present evidence obtained by drone in court and chain of evidence considerations.

Select the appropriate drones and equipment for your program. This may include drones, controllers, batteries, cameras, and any other necessary accessories. Consider your program goals, budget, weather, terrain, and personnel as well as the airspace in your jurisdiction when choosing hardware. There are many drones on the market today. Small drones for indoor flight begin at $500, portable units can range from $3,000 to $7,000 and larger high-capacity drones for critical missions can run from $15,000 to $30,000.