Oakland police are asking the City Council to approve a "drone-as-first-responder" program that would station six drones on rooftops at three locations across the city.
The Oaklandside reported that operators at headquarters would remotely launch the aircraft to fires, crashes, shootings and robberies, sending live video before patrol officers arrive. The Police Commission and Privacy Advisory Commission have already approved the request. The five-year cost is about $2.6 million, funded through Measure NN. Policy bans weapons, facial recognition, general surveillance and immigration enforcement use.
Why it matters: Chief James Beere told CBS Bay Area the technology can be a "game changer" amid staffing shortages. CBS noted new academy graduates brought the force to 613 officers, still hundreds short of what the department says it needs. Specific docking sites have not been named.