The City Council voted unanimously this month to renew the San Rafael Police Department's military equipment use policy, which included introducing a new drone program.
The approval authorized a contract up to $500,000 to lease two unmanned aerial systems, or drones, for 36 months. The contract is with Flock Group, Inc., which provides the city's license plate reading cameras.
Police Lt. Scott Eberle said the agency will be using what's called the "drone as first responder" program, "which offers significant advantages."
"The DFR system integrates directly with our computer-aided dispatch system, allowing drones to automatically deploy to the location of a call, either using an address or the GPS coordinates found from the actual 911 call," Eberle told the City Council at their June 2 meeting.
"This will dramatically improve response times and enhance situational awareness before even officers arrive at the scene," Eberle said.
In this type of program, the city's two drones will be strategically stationed — one downtown and the other in the Terra Linda neighborhood on the northern side of town — to ensure optimal response times, Eberle said.
The drones can reach speeds of up to 53 miles per hour and have a flight time of more than 42 minutes. The camera features a 400-times zoom and has thermal imaging capabilities.
This differs from what's referred to as a "tactical drone deployment" method, Eberle said. That sort of program is similar to the Marin County Sheriff's Office drone system.
This method involves launching a drone from the field, typically out of a patrol vehicle.
"I'll say it's a valuable tool," Eberle said. "We've used it 13 times last year," he said, explaining that the sheriff's office partnered with San Rafael police to deploy their equipment, "and we believe that it remains an important resource and a good use of a drone."
Eberle said San Rafael police chose to go with the other method because the drone pilot could deploy the vehicle remotely and wouldn't have to drive to the scene to launch it.
Eberle explained that the drones would not be used for surveillance, and that the use of the device is dictated by city policy.
Some examples of how the drones would be used for aerial observations include responses to traffic collisions or major disasters and flooding to assess the scene. They could be used for search-and-rescue missions; instances of civil unrest; response to fireworks complaints; crimes in progress; hazardous material evaluations; evacuations and more.
The drones also have built-in speakers and can be used for emergency communication, Eberle said.
The program received the unanimous support of the city's Police Advisory and Accountability Committee after a public forum in April.
Daryoush Davidi, vice chair of the committee, said the community consistently said safety is a top concern. He said crime victims testified they are in favor of police drones.
"As we know, first responders, not just police, but also the fire department, put their lives in danger by responding to emergencies," Davidi said. "And by having drones we can reduce this risk."
Resident Sharna Diemer said she is concerned about privacy.
"To me it represents a shocking and heartbreaking breakdown of trust in the citizens of this city," Diemer said.
In response, Chief David Spiller said "a lot of everything that we do is centered on building public trust."
"It's a significant concern of mine as your chief and the work that we put into hearing from the community and developing the policy," Spiller said.
Spiller also said that the program as designed is "a direct reflection of the council's strategic objectives for the next three years, leveraging technology to do our job more effectively, minimizing response times."
Eberle also noted that the drone camera will be up when en route to a scene. He said recorded video would be kept for 30 days, unless filed as evidence for an investigation.
City Manager Cristine Alilovich said when the proposal was first pitched, she shared some of the concerns voiced by the community.
"I think this is a really important thing to be doing, and I have full faith and trust in the integrity of this chief and the department to use this tool as a true benefit to the community," Alilovich said.
"The questions have been raised and answered," Vice Mayor Maribeth Bushey said. "It appears to be an efficiency enhancement that will enhance the safety of our community."
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