SAN FRANCISCO—On Tuesday, August 6, the Mayor of San Francisco announced along with San Francisco Police Chief William Scott, and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins the city’s new public safety drone program that since launching is yielding results. The use of drones by the SFPD has led to arrests and criminal charges.
At a briefing at Police Headquarters, Mayor Breed, Chief Scott, DA Jenkins, and representatives from SFPD shared drone footage and information about the deployment of drones under the recent approval of Proposition E. Benefits include faster response times, more precision, de-escalation, more details to formulate a plan, officer safety, avoiding unnecessary police chases, and a force multiplier during staff shortages.
Key Highlights of the SFPD Drone Usage
- SFPD has deployed six drones as part of initial deployment, with more on the way.
- SFPD has policies in place to ensure that drones are used responsibly with safeguards to protect the privacy of citizens. All drone operators have a Part 107 certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
- SFPD is integrating drones with other technologies like Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) and public safety cameras to more effectively and efficiently respond to crime.
- With these drones, SFPD has air support for the first time in 24 years.
Mayor Breed placed Proposition E on the ballot to put assist officers within the SFPD to better serve San Francisco by equipping police officers with access to 21st century technology and tools, in addition to changing rules to get more officers out on the street and pursue criminals. Proposition E was approved by voters in March, and the Mayor’s Office with the SFPD have been working to implement new policy changes since then.
“Drones are a transformative technology for the San Francisco Police Department,” said Chief Bill Scott. “Our hard-working officers deserve all the help they can get. We now have tools to continue to make arrests in some of the city’s most challenging crimes. I want to thank Mayor London Breed and the voters of San Francisco for bringing us this valuable technology.”
Two examples of cases highlighted by SFPD in today’s event:
- On July 26, officers responded to two suspects on dirt bikes breaking into cars around the Embarcadero. A drone was able to follow the suspects and locate their position so our officers could move in for the arrests.
- On July 27, citywide plainclothes officers identified an auto burglary crew boosting cars in the same area. With help from the drone, SFPD located the suspects, spiked their tires, placed them under arrest, and recovered all the stolen property.
During both incidents, the SFDA’s Office was able to file criminal charges and both cases are being prosecuted and are pending before the court.
The new tools helped San Francisco continue its progress in public safety. Reported crimes remain at 10-year lows with a 35 percent reduction in overall property crime and a 13 percent reduction in violent crime year to date in 2024 compared to last year. These reductions include:
- 42 percent reduction in homicides
- 56 percent reduction in car break-ins
- 18 percent reduction in motor vehicles thefts
- 21 percent reduction in robberies
- 14 percent reduction in burglaries
As San Francisco continues to roll out new public safety initiatives under Proposition E, police officers will have more tools to build on their work.
To watch Chief Bill Scott’s announcement of the drone program with initial results, click here.
