Drones add new element to Menifee PD enforcement

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Menifee Police Department showed off one of its newest technology tools with a presentation about its drone program at last week’s City Council meeting.

According to Lt. Denise Keith, only about 6 percent of all law enforcement agencies use drones, which are still in their infancy regarding federal regulation. Operating with certain restrictions, Menifee PD has 10 licensed drone operators and four drones to use in police operations.

“Legislation is still catching up,” Keith said about consistency in regulation of drones. “They are still in their early stages of use, so we want to be responsible and transparent in our policies.”

According to the presentation, drones must be operated within a visual line of sight of the operator; must fly under 400 feet; and must give way to manned aircraft. Most drone operators with FAA Part 107 licenses cannot fly at night or over crowds or vehicles, but Menifee PD officers received special training to do so.

Drones are used for:

-- Search and rescue
-- Crime scene documentation
-- Bomb and hazard materials observation
-- Disaster response
-- Investigation of armed and dangerous subjects

Every flight is recorded for later use. Menifee PD drones are not used for random surveillance or “to record images where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy (without a probable cause warrant)”, according to a presentation made by Sgt. Corey Cox, who oversees the program.

“Drones are quick to launch and they give us a lot of information regarding our calls,” said Keith, who added that observation from a drone camera can provide a valuable overview of the situation before officers enter the scene.