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Teledyne FLIR offering public safety grant assistance for SIRAS drone

Teledyne FLIR SIRAS drone grant

Drone-based response and air-to-ground surveillance with thermal imaging are becoming increasingly important to police investigations. However, procuring an advanced drone model that can assist with public safety jobs can be quite an investment. This is why Teledyne FLIR has teamed up with PoliceGrantsHelp.com to help police agencies across the US secure grants for their drone programs.

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Court rebuffs Chula Vista police claims its drone videos are secret

Chula Vista police drones

The continuing evolution of rules and legal interpretations on official drone use in the US took another twist this week with the decision by a California appellate court rebuffing Chula Vista municipal police claims that all videos its UAVs capture on duty are “records of investigations,” and as such protected from public scrutiny.

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BRINC to supply LEMUR 2 drones in $700K Schenectady police force deal

BRINC LEMUR 2 police

Seattle-based UAV security and emergency situational awareness specialist BRINC has recruited another big US client to its LEMUR 2 drone offer, with the New York city of Schenectady voting Tuesday to approve a nearly $700,000 contract with the startup to introduce the craft as police department asset.

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New York police drone use skyrockets despite public privacy fears

Disneyland drone

When New York Mayor Eric Adams announced the liberalization of permitting rules for drone operation in the city last July, he predicted it would lead to a growth of aerial services improving residents’ daily lives. One application he didn’t mention is one many New Yorkers are least enamored with: UAV surveillance by the police, which has increased exponentially over the past year.

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Skydio releases Remote Flight Deck to pilot X10 drones from any device or distance

Skydio X10 drone

Just three weeks after Skydio’s release of its new, tech-amped X10 drone, the company is now rolling out its Remote Flight Deck solution permitting users to operate the craft from a simple browser – providing a potentially invaluable asset for police, fire, first responder, and other intended operators.

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Baltimore police brave US blacklist pressures to launch UAV unit with DJI drones

Baltimore DJI police drone

The time-tested parental observation advises that one learns more about a situation by heeding what people do rather than what they say. That may also be said of the recent decision by the Baltimore Police Department in establishing its new drone fleet using DJI drones – and in doing so broadly reflecting the frequent response of independent administrations to the largely politicized moves by Congress, US government agencies, and several state legislatures to blacklist the UAV giant’s craft from official use across the nation.

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UK study of police drones urges creation of national rules on use and data security practices

Russia FPV drones Ukraine

It’s no secret that UK police have been energetic and innovative adopters of drone technology in public service, law enforcement, and first responder activity, but a recent survey suggests those forces need to do a better job in assuring security of their UAVs and the data they collect.

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So much for discretion: New York police drones to check into outdoor party complaints this weekend

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New York has recently taken considerable steps toward facilitating and increasing the use of long-banished drones within the city – and also overcoming lively resident opposition to those rooted in personal privacy concerns. But it’s precisely the enduring strength of that resistance that now risks making a decision by NY police to deploy UAVs for outdoor and backyard party surveillance this long holiday weekend a “too much, too soon” decision officials may wind up regretting.

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‘New York Post’ wigs out over its own report of possible police drone use as first responders

Disneyland drone

In the wake of recent moves to facilitate drone operations in the formerly closed skies of New York City, officials are now reportedly examining the further expansion of already increasing police use of UAVs to include emergency responder activities – provoking immediate, albeit suspiciously motivated alarm.

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Despite US blacklisting craze, Grand Rapids police get $100K for new fleet of DJI drones

Disneyland drone

The Police Department of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has received an all-clear to enter the small craft aerial age with final approval – and a nearly $100,000 budget – to create and operate a new fleet of drones, all of which will initially be DJI craft that politicians in Washington, DC, and a number of states have been seeking to ban.

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