Dallas deployed its fleet of police drones thousands of times in 2024

The Dallas police service deployed its fleet of drones about 8,000 times in the year 2024. This was reported at the meeting of the public security committee on Monday.

Cara Mendelsohn, member of the District 12 Council, who chairs the committee, said that she was surprised to see how many times drones had been used in police work.

“I think most people do not realize how many drones we have and who often (DPD) use them,” said Mendsohn at the Committee meeting.

Mendelsohn added that it thought that this type of program “is the future” and applauded the use by the ministry of drones to “help prolong the force (policewoman)”.

Dallas faces what some call a police crisis. A recent modification of the charter adopted by voters will force the city to hire hundreds of other police officers.

The department has a fleet of 139 drones. Their movements are captured on a tracker and are required to report certain information to state officials. This includes a flight and expenditure report every two years.

“This report would include things such as the date, time, operational goal, the time and location of the flight,” said Catrina Shead, deputy chief of the police service at the meeting.

And the ministry has 156 drone pilots and 186 “visual observers” – a requirement by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Police officials said at the meeting that there were requirements and certain situations where video and images can be recorded by drones.

The reasons why the police can collect this information if theft implies a crime, “life or the circumstances of death”, justify executions – or if consent is given.

The briefing comes after the city announced another Surveillance program in the southern Dallas sector. Advanced vehicle cameras have been added to certain parts of the District 3, according to a press release from the member of the Council Zarin Gracey.

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