California police consider new uses for drones during coronavirus pandemic

“We have not traditionally mounted speakers to our drones, but … if we need to cover a large area to get an announcement out, or if there were a crowd somewhere that we needed to disperse, we could do it without getting police officers involved,” said Capt. Vern Sallee.

Sallee clarified to the Washington Examiner that the drones that the department has can’t be outfitted with both a night vision camera and speakers at the same time. He said the drones will not be used for routine paroling of the community, but rather “in response to 911 calls for assistance as per our policy and FAA authorization.”

DJI, a Chinese company from which the department purchased the drones, is the world’s largest player in the civilian drone industry, making up 80% of the global market.

Sallee said officers are using the technology to make Chula Vista safer. One idea being considered for the drones is to have them help spread the message about the coronavirus to homeless people who may not receive information any other way.

“The department is considering one strategy to use drone-mounted speakers to communicate and reach vulnerable populations in inaccessible areas of the city, like large urban canyons with homeless encampments,” the department said in a press release. “Unsheltered persons are particularly vulnerable to the current pandemic, and their safety and welfare is important to stopping the spread of the disease.”

Other countries, such as China and Belgium, are using drones in random patrols, but Sallee said that is not the case in Chula Vista and stressed the department works hard to make sure the devices are used responsibly and with civil rights in mind. The new drones were purchased prior to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order telling California’s nearly 40 million residents to stay at home except for essential things such as getting food and healthcare items.

Sallee said the department has not used any of the devices equipped with speakers other than in training. He noted that in Chula Vista, police are simply taking note of gatherings of more than 10 people, businesses that are open that shouldn’t be, or people in parks that are closed. Staff have been directed to advise people on social distancing guidelines and ask for them to comply voluntarily with Newsom’s stay-at-home restrictions.

“Started in 2016, the Chula Vista Police Department’s drone program has strong policies and procedures to protect the privacy and civil rights of the community, while providing critical real-time information to first responders,” the press release said. “The department has not changed how it has used drones during this emergency, but staff are considering how drones may improve communication with the public under certain limited circumstances.”

Drones are starting to play a larger role in society and crime. U.S. Border Patrol agents are having issues with smugglers using drones to watch them as they work along the southern border. The drones are also used to move small quantities of drugs across the border.

Spencer Gore, chief executive of U.S.-based drone company Impossible Aerospace, said he is “working like crazy” to help equip other law enforcement agencies with drones and emphasized that the hardware his company uses is made domestically.

“What we saw in China, and what we’re probably going to see around the world, is using drones with cameras and loudspeakers to fly around to see if people are gathering where they shouldn’t be, and telling them to go home,” Gore said. “It seems a little Orwellian, but this could save lives.”

At the peak of China’s coronavirus outbreak, the country used talking drones to force citizens in certain areas to wear face masks.

“Where is your mask? Wear your mask!” operators of the drones asked passersby in Chinese.

In Belgium, which has more than 3,700 cases of the coronavirus, authorities have begun using drones to warn citizens about a lockdown that was put in place. Drones could be seen hovering overhead and reading off medical guidelines to people below.

“Take care of yourself and others,” a woman’s voice blares.

Cases of the coronavirus across the United States have increased dramatically in recent weeks. Surgeon General Jerome Adams warned on Monday that the coronavirus pandemic was “going to get bad” this week. Estimates of how many people will become infected vary, but some states have taken stringent measures to stop the spread, including closing all nonessential businesses.

Editor’s note: This report has been updated to clarify several points with feedback from the Chula Vista Police Department.