If approved, SAPD would join several major police departments in Orange County that operate their own drone programs.
The contract, which would run until February 2029, would be with Axon Enterprise, Inc., the same vendor that provides the department’s body-worn cameras. It would include purchasing five drones of various capabilities.
The program would allow police to deploy drones to emergency calls before officers arrive on scene, providing real-time video and audio to supervisors and responding units, officials said.
The potential for a drone program was first included in Santa Ana’s military equipment policy in 2022 and the department has been researching options since, which involved forming a drone commission and gathering public input, officials said.
A staff report to the council said the Police Department also conducted community outreach between August and January. According to the staff report, residents expressed interest in using drones for faster emergency response times and fireworks enforcement, while also calling for transparency and responsible use of the technology.
If approved, the department will adopt a new policy outlining how drones may be deployed, how data will be stored, and what safeguards will be in place to protect privacy and constitutional rights.
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