The proliferation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has created new challenges for law enforcement and public safety agencies across the United States. A panel discussion of public safety professionals at the recent Counter-UAS Homeland Security USA conference highlighted key issues and lessons learned about addressing drones in local communities, particularly from the mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey (“Dronegate”). It featured the following experts from state police departments and airport security:
- DJ Smith, Technical Surveillance Agent Unmanned Aerial & CUAS Program Coordinator, Virginia State Police (Moderator)
- Jason Day, Director of UAS Programs, Texas Department of Public Safety
- Assistant Police Chief Joshua Cousins, Assistant Police Chief – Special Operations, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Police
- Brett McCormick, cUAS Squad Supervisor, New Jersey State Police and
- Lieutenant Mike Ward, UAS & CUAS Program Manager, New Jersey State Police
This article distills the top 5 public safety drone issues raised by this illustrious group and then provides insights into a company that aims to help those agencies solve some of them.
#1 – Lack of Drone Education and Training
One of the most pressing issues uniformly identified by everyone on the panel was the critical need for better education and training within law enforcement agencies about drones.
“Dronegate,” the mysterious drone sightings that began in New Jersey in late November 2024, highlighted significant gaps in knowledge and preparedness among law enforcement personnel with regard to UAS. On this point, Brett McCormick, cUAS Squad Supervisor for the New Jersey State Police, emphasized, “Education is…the one gap we have right now within the county area space. There’s just no education. Not with our sworn folks (or) with the civilian population. And that’s the single biggest problem we have with the counties.”
Lessons Learned from Jersey
“Dronegate” served as a wake-up call for law enforcement agencies across the country with regard to the urgent need for robust internal education and training programs focused on drone technology and its implications for public safety. The lack of knowledge about drones led to several challenges during the NJ sightings:
- Misidentification: Many officers struggled to distinguish between drones and other aerial objects. This led to confusion and false reports.
- Procedural uncertainty: There was a lack of clear protocols on how to respond to drone sightings, especially those that might pose security risks.
- Legal ambiguity: Officers were often unsure about the legal boundaries of their authority when dealing with drone operators (more on this later).
- Public communication: Law enforcement agencies struggled to effectively communicate with and educate the public about the drone situation. This fueled speculation and fear.
Not Just Jersey…
DJ Smith, Technical Surveillance Agent and Unmanned Aerial & CUAS Program Coordinator for the Virginia State Police, reinforced the need for internal training and education about drones. “Education is the single biggest problem we have with the counties,” Smith said. He noted that with proper education, agencies could focus on the small percentage of malicious drone activity, rather than being overwhelmed by misidentified or benign drone flights (or planet sightings…)
Jason Day, Director of UAS Programs for the Texas Department of Public Safety, echoed McCormick and Smith’s sentiments. Day highlighted the need for comprehensive training that goes beyond how to just operate a drone. Training, he said, must include safety, maintenance, training, fleet management and drone detection. Day also stressed the value of educating new recruits about drone laws and regulations to create a more informed police force right out of the gate.
As of early this year, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) has started doing just this. It launched a statewide UAS training initiative that aims to provide comprehensive education on drone capabilities, regulations and appropriate response strategies.
# 2. Airspace Awareness and Detection Challenges
The panel also highlighted significant challenges in airspace awareness and drone detection for law enforcement agencies. Specifically, the ability to cover large land masses with detection capabilities and limited resources to buy these systems affects most agencies.
Vast Areas to Monitor
Brett McCormick, cUAS Squad Supervisor for the New Jersey State Police, emphasized the difficulty of monitoring large areas for drone activity. “This isn’t something that we’re built to do. Nobody is able to…monitor the airspace of an entire state for drones. …that’s just not what we were set up to do.” Rather, McCormick pointed out, law enforcement agencies are equipped to handle localized events…if they are equipped at all. Which leads to the next point…
Limited Resources and Technology
Day highlighted the resource constraints public safety agencies face when it comes to drones. “From a Texas perspective, this is difficult. It’s a big state. The Texas border with Mexico is as long as the entire West coast,” he said. He foot stomped that unlike federal agencies, state and local law enforcement have limited budgets for advanced detection technologies. This financial constraint makes it challenging to deploy comprehensive detection systems across large areas.
With limited resources to bear on this big problem, strategically placing sensors to maximize coverage becomes critically important. McCormick suggested that “well placed sensors” could help to gather data “on a daily basis.” This approach, however, would require careful planning to balance coverage with agency fiscal constraints. But money is not the only constraint on State, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement professionals…
# 3. Regulatory and Legal Ambiguities
The panel expressed frustration with the current regulatory environment surrounding drones. SLTT actors lack the legal authority to address the drone problem.
For one, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) enforces violations of its aviation regulations. This leaves local police to hunt for laws on their current legal books that might apply to drone crimes or infractions, such as trespass.
Perhaps more importantly, only a handful of federal agencies (the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Justice and portions of the Department of Homeland Security) have Congressional authority to detect, track and mitigate drones. These agencies can deploy counter-drone measures, but only under very specific circumstances. State and local law enforcement agencies do not have similar powers. This significantly limits their ability to respond to drone-related incidents.
Legislative fixes for this problem have been proposed and failed. The paralysis of action out of D.C. with respect to state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement authority to address the drone problem has forced states to act on their own. This, in turn, has led to some confusion about enforcement capabilities and jurisdictional responsibilities. As one example, Day said Texas tried to classify certain buildings, such as nuclear facilities, as critical infrastructure for purposes of restricting drone flights over them. The courts struck down this law as overreach.
This lack of legal authority has further created a Hobbesian choice for public safety officials: take action without legal authority to protect their communities or do nothing and let harm occur. Some agencies are leaning forward to solve problems at their level, with the understanding they may have to, as they say, “beg forgiveness later.”
# 4. Interagency Collaboration and Data Sharing
While agreement on the legislative front may not have yet occurred, collaboration does routinely occur between local, state and federal agencies. Lieutenant Mike Ward, UAS & CUAS Program Manager for the New Jersey State Police, highlighted the formation of an East Coast working group to share lessons learned about drone and counter-drone efforts.
Meetings are one thing; a common operating picture (COP) is quite another though. Day emphasized the need for a COP to visualize drone activity and share data effectively between agencies. In Texas, according to Day, both his agency and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) placed sensors along the border. “We fill in the different gaps,” he said. “This provides more comprehensive coverage and reduces financial burdens.” At the same time, Day said, “We don’t have that piece (referring to the COP). A lack of a unified system for data sharing and visualization hinders effective airspace awareness and response to potential threats.
# 5. Public Communication and Transparency
Finally, the New Jersey drone sightings highlighted the importance of clear communication with the public. The lack of information led to speculation and conspiracy theories, which caused unnecessary panic.
Assistant Police Chief Joshua Cousins of the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Police noted that organizing educational events, in advance of a crisis, can help demystify drone technology and regulations. For example, his organization hosted several successful drone education sessions at public libraries. As for attendance, Cousins said, “The room was packed.”
While public meetings and traditional communication methods are important, the panel emphasized the need for innovative technologies to enhance transparency and build trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
Real-Time Flight Path Tracking
One effective way to provide transparency is to make drone flight paths available to the public in real-time. Agencies like the Chula Vista Police Department use drone detection software to display exact flight paths and duration. This technology allows citizens to:
- View where drones are operating in their area
- Understand the purpose of drone flights
- See how their tax dollars are being utilized
Implementing such systems can ease public concerns about privacy infringement and increase trust in law enforcement and other increasingly common drone operations, such as drone deliveries.
Remote ID Broadcasts
The panel noted that effective implementation of the FAA’s Remote ID requirement is crucial for transparency and accountability. This technology requires drones to broadcast their identity and location in real-time, along with details about their purpose and operator. While imperfect, Remote ID provides information directly to the public.
Public-Facing Dashboards
User-friendly, public-facing dashboards can also provide citizens with up-to-date information on drone activities in their area. These dashboards could include current drone operations and their purposes, historical data on drone usage, incident reports and outcomes FAQs and educational resources about drone technology and regulations.
Industry is stepping up to help fill some of these gaps for public safety agencies.
Empowering Public Safety, Filling Critical Gaps
One such company, Carahsoft, a trusted government IT solutions provider, partners with leading technology companies to, among other things, offer comprehensive drone and counter-drone solutions for public safety agencies. Their Law Enforcement portfolio includes both cutting-edge software and hardware to support mission-critical objectives in the drone space.
Carahsoft’s offerings range from drone detection and tracking systems to data analysis tools that can help agencies make sense of the vast amount of information collected during drone operations. They also provide training solutions to address the education gap identified by law enforcement experts.
“Strengthening U.S. law enforcement and public safety agencies’ unmanned aerial systems management capabilities will enhance operational effectiveness, improve response times and save lives,” said Lacey Wean, Sales Director for Law Enforcement Solutions and Unmanned Aerial Systems at Carahsoft. “Carahsoft is proud to support government agencies by delivering modern, innovative technology solutions that enable the Public Sector to protect communities with unmatched precision and efficiency. We are ready and willing to assist public safety agencies in swiftly updating their resources, workflow and training to understand and best utilize UAS now and in the future.”
By leveraging Carahsoft’s partnerships and expertise, public safety agencies can access the latest technologies and training to enhance their drone and counter-drone capabilities. This support is crucial as agencies work to address the complex challenges posed by the increasing prevalence of drones in our skies.
Reach out to set up a meeting with Carahsoft at the DRONERESPONDERS National Public Safety UAS Conference (NACON). Contact Karlea Jones at Karlea.jones@carahsoft.com.
Lessons Learned from “Dronegate”
The mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey provided valuable lessons for public safety agencies:
- Rapid Response: The incident highlighted the need for quick, coordinated responses to drone sightings.
- Data Collection: New Jersey officials implemented a QR code system for reporting drone sightings, which highlights the importance of efficient data gathering methods.
- Interagency Coordination: The situation underscored the need for better communication between local, state, and federal agencies and technologies to facilitate that COP.
- Public Education: The incident revealed gaps in public understanding of drone regulations and capabilities.
- Technology Gaps: It exposed limitations in current drone detection and tracking capabilities.
By: Dawn Zoldi