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Monday, Jul. 20, 2020

Has the use of drones by law enforcement increased in response to COVID-19?

Allegra Taylor, Gigafact
yes

As of March 2020, 1,578 emergency-service agencies, 70% of them involved in law enforcement, were utilizing drone technology, up by 500 in less than two years.

In April, DJI—a major manufacturer—donated 100 drones to local law enforcement agencies. The company said a Florida police force would use its allotment to spot large groups of people and ask them to disperse, limiting exposure risk to its officers.

Use of the technology has raised privacy concerns. Objections from residents of Westport, Connecticut, led its police force to withdraw from a test program using drones to monitor from a distance individuals' temperature, heart and respiratory rates.

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