The office will use technology from Dedrone, which deploys mobile drone detection units equipped with sensors, cameras and other technology. When a drone is detected, its information will be sent to authorities who should then be able to engage the device’s operator.
“They are equipped with cameras, radar and radio frequency that can identify drones flying where they aren’t supposed to be,” Brandyn Hull, King County Sheriff’s Office communications manager, said in an email. “There will be Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) in place before, during and after each match.”
The sheriff’s office will also deploy its own drones to increase its situational awareness. These, Hull stressed, “will provide real-time data and only be dispatched to calls. They are not for surveillance.”
The Dedrone technology is funded in part with a $12 million federal grant, allowing the agency to retain the equipment following the FIFA games.
Seattle Stadium — renamed from Lumen Field for the World Cup — will host six games starting June 15. The 104-game tournament with 48 teams from around the globe will compete across 16 host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico through July 19. The events are expected to attract thousands of international visitors.
In Seattle, the King County Sheriff’s Office will have more than 200 deputies in service on each match day, with a heavy emphasis on covering public transit and transportation centers like Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
“Visitors will also see our bike units, known as the BEES (Bicycle Emphasis and Enforcement Team),” Hull said. “These are our officers on bikes who patrol the stations, the platforms and actually ride the buses and trains.”
