Last January (2019), the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Department created a 15-member unmanned aerial systems – or drone – team. Today, the department issued the first annual report on its drone usage.
In 2019, the sheriff’s department deployed a drone 21 times. This included search-and-rescue, suspect searches, crime scene documentation, and high-risk incidents involving firearms and search warrants.
In two cases, a drone was requested, but there was not yet a search warrant ready so the department declined to assist. In another instance, the sheriff’s drone was requested for a non-law enforcement event to promote the event, which the department drone policy does not allow.
