Chapter

1

ROADMAP TO IMPL EMENT ING AN 

Effective Unmanned 

Aircraft System 

(UAS) Program
2 ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENTING AN Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program
Chapter i
This project was supported, in whole or in part, by cooperative agreement 2019-CK-WX-K020 awarded to Police Executive 

Research Forum by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The opinions 

contained herein are those of the author(s) or contributor(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or 

policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific individuals, agencies, companies, products, or services 

should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s), the contributor(s), or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, 

the references are illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. 

The internet references cited in this publication were valid as of the date of publication. Given that URLs and websites 

are in constant flux, neither the author(s), the contributor(s), nor the COPS Office can vouch for their current validity.

This resource was developed under a federal award and may be subject to copyright. The U.S. Department of Justice 

reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use and to authorize 

others to use this resource for Federal Government purposes. This resource may be freely distributed and used for 

noncommercial and educational purposes only.

Recommended citation:

Mantel, Lisa. 2020. Roadmap to Implementing an Effective UAS Program. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services.

Published 2020
Contents

Letter from the Director of the COPS Office v

Letter from the Executive Director of PERF 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

vii

Overview 1

Planning and Preparation—What to Consider Before You Begin 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

 . . . . . . . . . 

3

Step 1. Determine your agency’s needs 3

Step 2. Engage the community 4

Step 3. Identify sources of funding 6

Step 4. Review state and federal laws and regulations 8

Implementation—Building Your Drone Program 11

Step 5. Select and purchase your drone and associated equipment 11

Step 6. Staff your drone team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12

Step 7. Train your drone team 13

Step 8. Develop standard operating procedures 14

Conclusion 17

Appendix A. State and Local UAS Working Group Members 1

Appendix B. Security Implications of Drone Programs 2

Appendix C. Training and Other Resources 2

About PERF 25

About the COPS Office 27

Letter from the Director of the COPS Office

Colleagues,

We are very pleased to release Roadmap to Implementing an Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) 

Program with our partners at the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). Drones, as UAS are generally 

known, present one of the most exciting frontiers in law enforcement by giving departments an essential 

tool with which to gather vital situational data without placing law enforcement professionals in harm’s 

way. I am personally committed to providing law enforcement agencies with the assistance they need to 

use this game-changing technology. 

Our UAS portfolio has been informed by my own first-hand encounters with successful and innovative UAS 

programs across the country. Site visits to the Drones as a First Responder program in Chula Vista, California, 

and the agencies working on our southern border illustrated the urgent need for guidance in both the use and 

countering malicious use of drones for state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement agencies. In 

2019, we hosted a forum that convened practitioners, law enforcement stakeholder groups, federal partners, 

and international peers. The findings from that forum were compiled into Drones: A Report on the Use of 

Drones by Public Safety Agencies—and a Wake-Up Call about the Threat of Malicious Drone Attacks which was 

released early this year. That report served as the foundational text for our work since. We also participate in 

federal working groups with the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and 

Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the U.S. Marshals Service, complemented by the military 

knowledge of UAS technology, to ensure that we are representing your needs and interests in this rapidly 

evolving theater.

In January 2020, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) convened a working group 

with representatives from innovative SLTT UAS programs, law enforcement stakeholder groups, and federal 

partners. The primary purpose of this working group is to identify the most pressing needs pertaining to SLTT 

UAS deployment and produce guidance for our peers in the field. This roadmap contains resources identified 

by working group members as essential to starting a drones program as well as their own invaluable lessons 

learned. It will help departments scope their mission, navigate permissions and paperwork, engage with their 

communities, and protect their data. This and all following deliverables from the SLTT UAS Working Group are 

grounded in the COPS Office’s philosophy of deliverables “by the field, for the field.” 
v i ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENTING AN Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program

This roadmap is the first of a series of deliverables identified by your peers as essential to expanding the safe 

and appropriate use of UAS technology. The deliverables will form a body of best practices for SLTT 

agencies using or managing the public’s use of drones. I urge any agency considering a UAS program to 

carefully read this roadmap and contact the resources include within, who stand ready and willing to 

assist.

I want to thank the staff and leadership of PERF and our federal partners for their work in its creation.

Sincerely,

Phil Keith

Director

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Letter from the Executive Director of PERF

Dear colleagues:

Earlier this year, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) released Drones: A Report on the Use of Drones by 

Public Safety Agencies—and a Wake-Up Call about the Threat of Malicious Drone Attacks.

1

 This comprehensive 

report was based in part on a two-day conference that PERF held in 2019 with support from the U.S. 

Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the U.S. Department 

of Homeland Security (DHS). 

At our conference, more than 200 police chiefs, sheriffs, officers, scholars, stakeholder groups, representatives 

of federal agencies, and other experts discussed the issues that public safety agencies need to consider before 

starting a drone program. Participants also addressed how federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies 

must respond to the malicious use of drones by bad actors. 

I’m pleased that we are now releasing Roadmap to Implementing an Effective Unmanned Aircraft System 

(UAS) Program, which is a companion piece to our earlier report. Our new report is an eight-step guide to 

planning a drone program, starting with evaluating whether your agency needs a drone program and, if so, 

for what purposes. Other key steps include consulting with your community, identifying funding sources, and 

researching the laws and regulations that would impact your program. After that essential preparation, you can 

begin the work of purchasing drone equipment, staffing and training your drone team, and writing standard 

operating procedures (SOP). 

In light of the heightened scrutiny of police agencies these days, our step 2—Engage the community—is 

especially important. Any police agency considering a drone program must be completely transparent with 

the community about how they are thinking about the key issues, including the purposes of the program, the 

limitations on use of drones that you are considering, privacy issues, accountability, and any other concerns 

that the community may have. 

The steps and tips included in this guidance are based on the promising practices and lessons learned by leaders 

in the field. I want to thank the members of the State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial UAS Working Group for 

their expertise in developing the Roadmap to Implementing an Effective Drone Program. I also want to thank 

1. Police Executive Research Forum, Drones: A Report on the Use of Drones by Public Safety Agencies—and a Wake-Up 

Call about the Threat of Malicious Drone Attacks (Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2020), 

https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-W0894.
viii ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENTING AN Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program

the COPS Office for making this work possible and Director Phil Keith for his leadership on this issue. Drones 

have tremendous potential for saving lives, but to tap into that potential, you must ensure that your program 

is carefully controlled and managed and that you have strong support in your community for your stated goals 

and purposes. Our new roadmap report can help you achieve that. 

Sincerely,

Chuck Wexler

Executive Director

Police Executive Research Forum
Overview 

The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), with support from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of 

Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and in consultation with the State and Local Unmanned 

Aircraft Systems (UAS) Working Group,2

 developed this roadmap to assist public safety agencies with 

implementing an effective UAS, or drone, program.3

 The use of drones by law enforcement and other public 

safety agencies has been increasing since 2010—and even more so since 2015—yet little guidance is available 

for police executives to consider in establishing a drone program. 

For more detailed guidance, including recommendations, best practices, and lessons learned, please reference 

the COPS Office and PERF’s 2020 report on public safety agencies’ use of drones.4

In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice in autumn 2019 issued its new policy on the use of UAS,5

 which can 

serve as a model for law enforcement and public safety agencies to employ UAS in a responsible, appropriate, 

and effective way to protect the public while promoting national values and the rule of law.

While the guidance in this publication is framed in steps, it is important to understand that these steps 

need not occur in a rigid, sequential manner. Rather, this is meant to be a continuous process. For example, 

continued action on some of the steps may be necessary based on new or changing conditions. As an 

illustration of new conditions, many public safety agencies employed drones in response to civil unrest or the 

challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic; when faced with such new conditions, public safety agencies 

must work with their communities and seek advice of counsel to protect privacy and civil liberties (e.g., First 

Amendment interests) in this new context. In addition, continued refinement of standard operating procedures 

and best practices is necessary throughout the life of a drone program to ensure that policy, training, and best 

practice continues to evolve.

2. Members of the group are listed in appendix A.

3. The U.S. Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration use the term unmanned aircraft system (UAS), 

as do aviation and air traffic organizations worldwide, to emphasize the importance of more than just the crewless aerial 

vehicle—that is, the software, ground control stations, data links, etc. This document will use the term UAS interchangeably 

with the more colloquial term drone, but will not use the terms unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), remotely-piloted airship vehicle 

(RPAV), or other less comprehensive terms.

4. PERF (Police Executive Research Forum), Drones: A Report on the Use of Drones by Public Safety Agencies—and a WakeUp Call about the Threat of Malicious Drone Attacks (Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2020), 

https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-W0894.

5. “9-95.100 - Department of Justice Policy on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems,” U.S. Department of Justice, last 

modified November 2019, https://www.justice.gov/jm/9-95000-unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas.

Planning and Preparation—What to 

Consider Before You Begin

Step 1 Determine your agency’s needs

The first step is to determine whether your agency needs a drone.Answer the following questions

• How will your agency use the drone? Consider the various use cases for drone missions, including the 

following: 

•	 Bombs and hazardous materials observation

•	 Crime scene photography and reconstruction

•	 Disaster response

•	 Ensuring safety at mass gatherings

•	 Fugitive apprehension

•	 Investigating armed and dangerous suspects

•	 Search and rescue

•	 Traffic collision reconstruction

•	 Training missions

• How often do you anticipate using the drone?

•	 Is there a neighboring agency with a drone program whose services you can request or join as a 

partnering agency? 

•	 Can you partner with a neighboring agency or other public safety agency within your jurisdiction (e.g., 

the fire department, emergency management) to jointly build a drone program? 

Recommendations

• Identify the goals and objectives of your agency’s drone program. This will help you determine the 

operational parameters of the program, including the size of the program, capital and operating costs, 

number and type of drones to purchase, and the associated equipment you will need. 

• Consider establishing mutual aid agreements with neighboring agencies with a single point 

of contact for dispatching. This will allow your agency to share resources and personnel regionally 

or statewide. 
4 ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENTING AN Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program

Step 2 Engage the community 

The next step in implementing a drone program is to engage with your community. Many state, local, tribal, 

and territorial public safety agencies have found that seeking public understanding and support is key to a 

successful drone program.

Recommendations

• Before you purchase your drone, consult with community organizations and other stakeholders, and work 

to ensure that their concerns are understood and are addressed through an open and transparent process. 

Proactively reach out to organizations that are likely to have helpful perspectives or reservations about 

drone use (e.g., the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), civic groups, other civil liberties or privacy 

interest groups). 

•	 Tip.Be prepared to provide detailed, substantive answers to questions about what type of information

police intend to collect during drone missions and how you will store, protect, and retain the data 

you collect.

“We did not go out and purchase our drone right away. 

Instead we reached out to members of the public and 

stakeholder groups to consider their perspectives and 

to share our vision for the program. We held town halls 

and invited the media to see what we were doing. 

We also met with the ACLU and read their publication 

about drones. All this happened before we bought our 

first drone or started any operations.” 

– Captain Vern Sallee, Chula Vista (CA) Police Department
Planning and Preparation—What to Consider Before You Begin 5

• Communicate with other stakeholder organizations in your community. Following is a checklist of 

suggested organizations to contact, which can be tailored to your jurisdiction’s unique needs:

•	 All public safety departments (e.g., fire, emergency medical services (EMS), campus security)

•	 Church groups

•	 Citizen community advisory boards

•	 Civil liberties and privacy rights organizations

•	 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 

•	 Federal law enforcement agencies operating in your area (e.g., U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of 

Investigation (FBI) Field Office)

•	 Groups with wildlife concerns such as the National Audubon Society

•	 Hospitals

•	 Local business organizations 

•	 Local parks authority

•	 Major airports (including tower staff) and airport management agencies 

•	 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and other civil rights organizations

•	 Neighborhood Watch groups

•	 Other local community groups specific to your area

•	 Other local government agencies (e.g., public works, emergency management)

•	 Prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys

•	 Schools

• Engage with local governing bodies (e.g., mayor, city council, city manager, county commissioners) to 

explain how police would like to use drones to promote public safety.
6 ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENTING AN Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program

• Communicate with the public about your plans for defining the authorized and official purposes of 

your drone program and what types of uses you intend to prohibit. This information may help to avoid 

misunderstandings and reduce levels of opposition. 

•	 Tip. Stress that the use of drones is to promote public safety and not for loosely defined surveillance purposes

•	 Tip.Use print, broadcast, and social media to inform and engage the public. Involve your agency’s

public information officer to share information widely. Ensure that your message is going to reach the 

target audience.

• Be transparent about your agency’s plans for drone policies and practices. This should continue after the 

program has been implemented. 

•	 Tip.Post your agency’s plans for drones on your department’s website when the program is being

considered, and post the final details about policies on your website after the program has been approved 

and implemented.

•	 Tip.If permissible by law, release video of successful drone deployments to reassure the community

about your agency’s purpose and intent. In addition, share the drone mission flight log with public 

by posting it on your agency’s website (with the exception of any missions that are sensitive or would 

compromise a criminal investigation). 

• Respond to community concerns and recommendations.After public input has been solicited and

gathered, work with local elected officials to review the situation and make decisions about final policies and 

plans. Transparency is essential. Publicly announce all decisions about any revisions to the initial plans, and 

post the final policies and plans on police and city websites with explanations and background information.

Step 3 Identify sources of funding 

The third step is to identify sources of funding for your agency’s drone program. This includes the initial costs 

as well as ongoing costs to sustain the program. Many agencies with sophisticated programs suggest a “crawl, 

walk, run” approach; in other words, start with a small program and gain experience before expanding it.

Recommendations 

• Establish the goals and operational parameters of your agency’s drone program. This will help determine 

the true costs of the program.

•	 Tip.Begin with the minimum amount of equipment needed to achieve your agency’s mission. Once you

master that, consider possible expansion of the program if needed.
Planning and Preparation—What to Consider Before You Begin 7

• When establishing the financial needs of a drone program, consider the initial equipment costs as well as 

the ongoing costs, including long-term training, maintenance, and upgrade costs.

•	 Tip.Do not forget the ancillary equipment required to make your drone functional (e.g., a thermal

camera, spotlight, data storage, a vehicle to transport the drone).

• Consider alternative funding sources that could help support a drone program.

•	 Tip.Consider foundations, grants, or community partnerships to help offset program costs. If you are

using a federal grant to purchase a drone, ensure that the manufacturer meets the requirements of the 

federal grantor. 

• Carefully evaluate offers of donated UAS, or UAS for “free” evaluation periods.Law enforcement

and public safety agencies must be attuned to the cybersecurity and supply chain risks associated with 

UAS, and factor those risks into purchase and fielding decisions. Foreign-manufactured UAS companies 

have occasionally offered to donate UAS to state and local law enforcement entities, often during public 

emergencies—most recently including the COVID-19 pandemic. Vendors may also occasionally offer “free” 

evaluation periods where an agency is permitted to “test drive” a UAS. However, these “free” systems 

often involve having to install or use proprietary software or hardware components that could introduce 

vulnerabilities into or compromise agency computer systems (including “over-the-air” because most 

systems include radio frequency transmitters and receivers) and may provide unauthorized “backdoors” 

into critical public safety networks. (See appendix B for additional discussion about the security 

implications of using drones.)

• Conduct a cost-benefit analysis.In addition to estimating all of the immediate and long-term costs of a

drone program, consider the potential benefits derived from drone use (e.g., more successful searches for 

missing persons; faster accident reconstruction leading to briefer road closures).

•	 Tip. Consult neighboring agencies to determine if costs can be shared between agencies that jointly own

and operate a drone program.

•	 Tip. If your agency deploys fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters, consider the extent to which drones

might perform certain missions more easily and at lower cost than crewed aviation. Drones likely will 

not replace crewed aircraft entirely, but the costs of drones may be offset to some extent by savings in 

reduced use of crewed aircraft.
8 ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENTING AN Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program

“During the evaluation of our trial period, we looked at 

the cost of equipment, the cost of operating drones 

versus helicopters, and the return on investment. We 

found that the hourly operating costs of drones were 

significantly less than operating a traditional helicopter 

aircraft, and would bring us a considerable return on 

our investment.” 

– Interim Chief Tony Zucaro, Virginia Beach (VA) Police Department

Step 4 Review state and federal laws and regulations

An additional step to take before implementing a drone program is to research all federal, state, and local 

laws and regulations applicable to your agency’s jurisdiction to ensure that your program will function 

lawfully and without legal challenges. 

You must also determine which FAA regulatory option you will use for operation: 

• Have individual operators obtain an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate under 14 CFR Part 107.6

• Have your agency obtain a FAA Part 91 Certificate of Authorization (COA) so you can self-certify your 

operators under 14 CFR Part 91.7

There are advantages and disadvantages to each option, which is why many agencies choose to pursue both.

6. “Fact Sheet—Small Unmanned Aircraft Regulations (Part 107),” press release, Federal Aviation Administration, 

last modified June 21, 2016, https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=20516.

7. “Certificates of Waiver of Authorization (COA),” Federal Aviation Administration, last modified April 25, 2019, 

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ato/service_units/systemops/aaim/organizations/uas/coa/.
Planning and Preparation—What to Consider Before You Begin 9

Recommendations

• Consult with your agency’s legal department to determine if there are legal restrictions on the use of 

drones by law enforcement and to ensure that drone team members understand the laws and regulations 

they must follow.

•	 For example, police agencies in Virginia are limited by state legislation8

 that requires law enforcement 

agencies to obtain a warrant before using a drone for any purpose, except in certain defined circumstances. 

•	 In Florida, lawmakers enacted the Freedom from Unwanted Surveillance Act9 in 2015, which prohibits law 

enforcement agencies’ use of drones, with several broad exceptions.

• Use the FAA’s User Identification Tool10 to determine which regulatory option is right for your agency. 

•	 Tip.Consider applying for both an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate and a Part 91 COA for maximum

use and flexibility.

• If applicable, consult with neighboring agencies to learn how legal limitations affect their operations and 

how they manage those limitations.

• Prepare templates for search warrants based on the contemplated use of drones as necessary,11 and 

applications for waivers of certain limitations that sometimes affect drone operations. A template for writing 

a search warrant can be found in appendix C to the COPS Office and PERF report, Drones: A Report on the Use 

of Drones by Public Safety Agencies—and a Wake-Up Call About the Threat of Malicious Drone Attacks.12

• Know your neighbors, including the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Energy, and other 

federal facilities that have permanent airspace restrictions. For example, the National Capital Region 

around Washington, D.C., is covered by the Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ), which requires special waivers and 

notifications before a law enforcement flight can take place.

•	 Tip.Consult the FAA, which lists sensitive areas where flights are prohibited.1

8. Virginia State Code § 19.2-60.1, https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title19.2/chapter5/section19.2-60.1/. 

9. Florida Statue 934.50, https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2015/934.50. 

10. “User Identification Tool,” Federal Aviation Administration, last modified May 7, 2020, 

https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/user_identification_tool/.

11. For example, if required by state or local law or if, after conferring with legal counsel, the specific contemplated use 

implicates the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution (e.g., given the ability of UAS to get much closer to a 

home than manned aircraft or if sensors are used on the UAS that intrude into an area where an individual has a reasonable 

expectation of privacy a warrant wifould likely be constitutionally required). However, the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled 

that aerial surveillance, provided it remains within certain parameters, is not a search under the Fourth Amendment, and 

therefore a warrant is not constitutionally required. (Florida v. Riley, 488 U.S. 445 (1989); California v. Ciraolo, 476 U.S. 207 

(1986); Dow Chem. Co. v. United States, 476 U.S. 227 (1986)). 

12. PERF, Drones (see note 4).

13. “Where Can I Fly?” Federal Aviation Administration, last modified October 19, 2018, 

https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/where_can_i_fly/airspace_restrictions/.

Implementation—Building Your 

Drone Program

Step 5 Select and purchase your drone and 

associated equipment

The next step is to select and purchase your drones and related equipment. This can be challenging because 

there are many options in an array of sizes, capabilities, and costs. 

To select and purchase the best drones for your agency, it is important to keep in mind the following key 

considerations:

• Operational parameters. What will the drones be used for

• Operational specifications. What technology or equipment is needed to achieve mission goals?

• Operational security. Based on the platform you select, are you potentially exposing your agency’s systems

to cybersecurity threats? Can you successfully mitigate the risks? (There are risks associated with drones 

that are manufactured in a foreign country or data platforms in which video footage or other data are 

accessible by servers in a foreign country. See appendix B, Security Implications of Drone Programs.)

Recommendations

• Consider the operational parameters and specifications of your drone program to help inform the 

purchase of your drone and associated equipment. 

•	 What will you use the drone for? (See step 1. “Determine your agency’s needs.”)

•	 What special features and capabilities do you need (e.g., bright spotlights, thermal imaging, scene 

mapping, automatic sharing on media platforms)? 

•	 What are the typical weather conditions in your area?

•	 How do you plan to transport the drone and store data? 

• Often, “less is more.” The more complex the drone system is, the more complicated and expensive it can be

to operate and maintain it. Consider starting with simple and easy-to-learn systems and evolve the program 

as you gain more experience.
1 2 ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENTING AN Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program

• Consider durability and battery life as you evaluate which drones to purchase.

•	 Tip.Look for vendors with proven experience that will be in the drone industry for the foreseeable

future. This will allow you to obtain necessary parts and repairs in the future.

• Consider mission management solutions for supporting operational requirements, including report 

generation, image storage and management, image analysis, etc.

• Be aware of the security risks (including the potential exposure of private or sensitive data) when 

operating drones that were designed or manufactured in a foreign country or where the data is stored, 

transferred to, or accessible by servers in a foreign country.

•	 Tip.Coordinate with your agency’s network security personnel to identify mitigation strategies before

using any foreign-made UAS.

• Strongly consider procuring drones made domestically or by trusted allies, although each purchase 

decision will depend on the specific use case, mission requirements, and assessed risks.

• Implement your drone program on a trial basis for a specified period of time (e.g., 180 days).

•	 Tip.Use an inexpensive and small platform drone when first starting out. Many drones have been

accidentally damaged or destroyed during training. 

• Conduct a formal evaluation of the trial period. An evaluation period will allow your agency to decide if 

pursuing a drone program is worth the time, effort, and money that must go into it.

• Consider the insurance requirements for your UAS fleet. 

•	 Tip.In addition to UAS insurance specifically to cover the drone and basic liability of UAS operations, it

may be necessary to include specific schedules of aircraft registration numbers or pilots in your agency’s 

general law enforcement liability policy.

•	 Tip. Consider obtaining insurance to cover UAS operations when using a partner agency’s drones through

mutual aid agreements. 

Step 6 Staff your drone team

Ensure that your drone team is staffed with qualified people. There are a variety of ways in which this staffing 

can be accomplished, depending on an agency’s individual needs. 

Most agencies employ a “tandem” team, consisting at a minimum of a remote pilot in command and a visual 

observer. Other team roles include team leader, camera/video/sensor operator, and safety and security officer. 

• The remote pilot in command controls the drone and in most situations is required to keep it within his or 

her visual line of sight.
Implementation—Building Your Drone Program 1 3

• The visual observer assists the pilot by maintaining visual contact with the drone and the area around the 

drone and by alerting the pilot to potential hazards.

• The team leader is responsible for overseeing the operational status of the program, assigning equipment 

and staff, and policy and program development.

• The camera/video/sensor operator monitors the video feed and any other information being transmitted 

from the drone. 

• The safety and security officer protects the other members of the drone team.

Recommendations

• Create the drone team roles based on your agency’s individual needs and any state or local regulations 

requirements.

•	 Tip.Consider training drone pilots from different units of the police department to ensure that

personnel with different types of expertise are available to respond to any type of incident, e.g., accident 

reconstruction, special weapons and tactics (SWAT), or missing persons.

• Determine how many pilots should be certified based upon the size of your jurisdiction as well as the 

types of incidents to which the drone team will be responding.

•	 Tip.Use both sworn and nonsworn personnel to minimize costs and maximize expertise

Step 7 Train your drone team

The next step is to ensure that drone team members receive comprehensive training, including a detailed 

understanding of the drones they will be operating and the airspace they will be operating in. The structure of 

your training will depend on several factors, including 

• your agency’s size; 

• which FAA regulatory option you are operating under;

• the missions that your drones will be used for;

• the authorizations of your drone team members. 

Some agencies conduct training internally while other agencies are trained by an external provider. As 

noted in previous steps, you must first determine the purpose of your drone program before developing a 

training protocol. 
14 ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENTING AN Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program

Recommendations

• If you develop your own training protocols, be sure to include the following topics:

•	 A baseline understanding of what role the FAA plays in public safety regulatory compliance

•	 Aviation safety—an aviation safety program or aviation safety management system 

•	 Crew resource management and a flight risk assessment tool to accept or decline a UAS flight request

•	 Fleet management—how to choose the right aircraft for each mission 

•	 How to present UAS-collected data in court

•	 Legal and policy instruction on compliance with FAA regulatory standards, the Fourth Amendment’s 

application to aerial surveillance (and to any sensors that may be employed on the UAS), and privacy and 

civil liberty implications of using UAS and conducting aerial surveillance 

•	 Methods of conducting safe flight operations, including under pressing circumstances

•	 Operational guidelines for UAS pilots and technicians within an agency

•	 Rules of evidence related to UAS operations and agency requirements

• Require drone training for all agency personnel who will be part of the approval chain for using drones or 

who will assist with drone procedures to ensure operational proficiency.

•	 Tip.Purchase inexpensive drones for new pilots to practice with during initial training. (See step 5

“Select and purchase your drones and associated equipment.”)

•	 Tip. Set ongoing training requirements so team members remain proficient in drone operations and up to

date on FAA rules and regulations.

•	 Tip.Train visual observers in different units (such as bomb squad or accident reconstruction personnel)

to ensure someone arrives on scene promptly. (See step 6. “Staff your drone team.”)

Step 8 Develop standard operating procedures

It is important to document your agency’s policies and standard operating procedures (SOP) regarding 

drone use. Request that your agency’s legal counsel and your local prosecutor’s office review and provide input 

on the policies and SOPs. This will help to ensure compliance with your jurisdiction’s laws and regulations, 

improve transparency, provide assurance to the public that operations are being conducted lawfully and with 

legal oversight, and reduce the possibility that evidence collected by drones will be deemed inadmissible at 

trial. To ensure accountability, make sure that all staff members receive a copy of the policies and SOPs and are 

trained on them. 
Implementation—Building Your Drone Program 1 5

Recommendations 

• Review model policies and sample language when developing your own SOPs. Sample language can be 

found in the COPS Office and PERF report, Drones: A Report on the Use of Drones by Public Safety Agencies—

and a Wake-Up Call About the Threat of Malicious Drone Attacks.14

• Tip.Consult other agencies and use their SOPs as a starting point

• Make sure your SOPs include the following components: 

•	 Authorized types and purposes of missions

•	 Aviation safety

•	 Definitions

•	 Evidence data collection and storage

•	 Information collection, retention, and dissemination

•	 Legal guidance on search, seizure, and aerial surveillance activities

•	 Privacy and civil liberties considerations

•	 Procedures

•	 Purpose

•	 Required training

•	 Restrictions on use of UAS

•	 Staffing

• Consider posting your drone policies on your agency’s website to ensure transparency and build 

community trust.

• Be flexible and willing to change as your program develops.

14. PERF, Drones (see note 4).

Conclusion

Organizations must be able to adapt to changing circumstances and learn from mistakes. Agencies choosing 

to implement a drone program must remain flexible, inventive, and adaptable. Technology changes fast, 

and agencies must continue to change with it to stay ahead of threats and drone countermeasures. Thus, it 

is important to continuously refine policy, best practices, and tactics as you build your drone program and 

incorporate new technology into your daily operations. 

Appendix A. State and Local UAS Working 

Group Members

Gregory Ahern

Sheriff, Alameda County (CA) Sheriff’s Office

Brian Bahlau

Lieutenant, Michigan State Police

Michael Brown

National Sheriffs’ Association

Robert Chapman

Deputy Director, COPS Office

Ileana Ciobanu

Senior Counsel, DOJ Office of Legal Policy 

Nicole Corbin

Lieutenant, California Department of Corrections and 

Rehabilitation

Matthew Cronin

National Security & Cybercrime Coordinator, Executive 

Office for United States Attorneys

Rodolfo Cuevas

Massachusetts Department of Transportation

Sarah Estill

Social Science Analyst, COPS Office

Charles Guddemi

D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management 

Agency 

Joseph Heaps

Senior Physical Scientist, National Institute of Justice

Hyla Jacobson

Research Assistant, PERF

Kevin Jinks

Senior Counsel, DOJ Office of Legal Policy

Phil Keith

Director, COPS Office

Roxana Kennedy

Chief, Chula Vista (CA) Police Department

Tom Madigan

Commander, Alameda County (CA) Sheriff’s Office

David Maitlen

Sergeant, Torrance (CA) Police Department

Lisa Mantel

Deputy Director of Technical Assistance, PERF

Ben Miller

Director, Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced 

Technology Aerial Firefighting

Art Mogil

Lieutenant, New York City (NY) Police Department

John T. Or

Captain, Virginia Beach (VA) Police Department

Michael O’Shea

UAS Integration Office Program Manager, Federal 

Aviation Administration
2 0 ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENTING AN Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program

Christian Quinn

Major, Fairfax County (VA) Police Department

Ray Reed

Master Police Officer, Virginia Beach (VA) Police 

Department

Janet Riffe

Manager, Enforcement Standards & Policy Division, 

Federal Aviation Administration

Adam Ringle 

Sergeant, Wilmington (DE) Police Department

Don Roby

Training Program Manager, Airborne Public Safety 

Association

Matt Rogers

Sergeant, Michigan State Police

Vern Sallee 

Captain, Chula Vista (CA) Police Department

Martin Sayre

Commander, St. Cloud (MN) Police Department 

Matthew Scheider

Assistant Director of Research and Development, COPS 

Office

David Simon

Captain, Michigan State Police

Jessica Toliver 

Director of Technical Assistance, PERF

Duane Tompkins

Sergeant, Polk County (FL) Sheriff’s Office

Robert Tracy

Chief, Wilmington (DE) Police Department

Chuck Wexler

Executive Director, PERF

Tony Zucaro

Interim Chief, Virginia Beach (VA) Police Department
Appendix B. Security Implications of Drone 

Programs

Public safety agencies must understand the cybersecurity and supply chain risks associated with certain 

foreign-made technology, as well as the relevant restrictions based on the sources of funding they receive. 

Public safety agencies must also recognize that legislatures and executives at the federal and state levels are 

moving to limit public agencies’ purchase and deployment of certain foreign-made UAS in light of the risks they 

present. These risks include the following: 

• Operators.Inexperienced operators can place an organization’s UAS device and its data at risk if they do

not follow established procedures for securing the UAS before, during, and after flight. Both transmitted 

and stored data are vulnerable when the device, its components, or its transmission feed are not properly 

secured by the operator. 

• Manufacturers and vendors.An organization’s information is at risk if it employs technology corrupted

by malware or performs automatic data transmission to a third party. Manufacturers and vendors of UAS, 

their firmware, and software applications potentially can build in malware or collect data from UAS devices 

without an organization’s knowledge. 

• Data theft.Organizations are susceptible to theft of information if the UAS device and the organization’s

network are not properly secured and if the communication feed on which the UAS is operating is 

unencrypted. The potential data at risk to exposure from using a UAS includes location data, personally 

identifiable information (PII), phone/tablet data, video and pictures, biometric data, and flight logs and 

telemetry data. 

• Network intrusion.UAS—as with other connected “internet of things” devices—can expose organizations

to network breaches, which could lead to unauthorized access to agency internal data sets and other 

information. Malware incorporated into software, firmware, or hardware modules within the UAS supply 

chain may potentially spread to an agency network depending on its design and how data is retrieved 

from the UAS. 

• Wireless communications.UAS and their controllers may be susceptible to various local wireless

attacks because they communicate using a number of protocols, and are impacted by whether or how the 

communications are encrypted. 
2 2 ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENTING AN Effective Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Program

• Foreign law enforcement and foreign government cooperation.While companies operating within

any country are typically expected to comply with applicable law and government regulations, foreign 

governments may require companies to disclose far more information than the U.S. government without 

significant legal protection for customers. UAS data is often sent to servers controlled by or accessible to the 

UAS manufacturing company or third-party application vendor. For UAS designed, manufactured, or supplied 

abroad, company internet servers may be located in the United States or in foreign countries (or both). 

Data servers run by or accessible to foreign companies, especially those located in foreign countries, may 

be susceptible to foreign law enforcement and government seizure without the benefit of the types of legal 

protections under U.S. law.
Appendix C. Training and Other Resources 

• FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). Drones in Public Safety: A Guide to Starting Operations. Washington, 

DC: Federal Aviation Administration, 2019. 

https://www.faa.gov/uas/public_safety_gov/media/Law_Enforcement_Drone_Programs_Brochure.pdf. 

• FAA. Emergency Situations. Last modified August 27, 2020. 

https://www.faa.gov/uas/advanced_operations/emergency_situations/.

• FAA. “How to Start a Drone Program.” YouTube, July 9, 2019. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp1yTzJt7ZU. 

• Police Executive Research Forum. Drones: A Report on the Use of Drones by Public Safety Agencies—and a 

Wake-Up Call about the Threat of Malicious Drone Attacks. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services, 2020. https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/ric.php?page=detail&id=COPS-W0894. 

• U.S. Department of Justice. 9-95.100 – Department of Justice Policy on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

Last modified November 2019. https://www.justice.gov/jm/9-95000-unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas. 

About PERF

The Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) is an independent research organization that focuses on critical 

issues in policing. Since its founding in 1976, PERF has identified best practices on fundamental issues such as 

police use of force; developing community policing and problem-oriented policing; using technologies to deliver 

police services to the community; and evaluating crime reduction strategies. 

PERF strives to advance professionalism in policing and to improve the delivery of police services through the 

exercise of strong national leadership, public debate of police and criminal justice issues, and research and 

policy development.

In addition to conducting research and publishing reports on our findings, PERF conducts management 

studies of individual law enforcement agencies; educates hundreds of police officials each year in the Senior 

Management Institute for Police, a three-week executive development program; and provides executive search 

services to governments that wish to conduct national searches for their next police chief. 

All of PERF’s work benefits from PERF’s status as a membership organization of police officials, who share 

information and open their agencies to research and study. PERF members also include academics, federal 

government leaders, and others with an interest in policing and criminal justice. 

All PERF members must have a four-year college degree and must subscribe to a set of founding principles, 

emphasizing the importance of research and public debate in policing, adherence to the Constitution and the 

highest standards of ethics and integrity, and accountability to the communities that police agencies serve. 

PERF is governed by a member-elected President and Board of Directors and a Board-appointed Executive Director. 

To learn more, visit PERF online at www.policeforum.org.

About the COPS Office

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is the component of the U.S. Department 

of Justice responsible for advancing the practice of community policing by the nation’s state, local, territorial, 

and tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant resources.

Community policing begins with a commitment to building trust and mutual respect between police and 

communities. It supports public safety by encouraging all stakeholders to work together to address our nation’s 

crime challenges. When police and communities collaborate, they more effectively address underlying issues, 

change negative behavioral patterns, and allocate resources. 

Rather than simply responding to crime, community policing focuses on preventing it through strategic 

problem-solving approaches based on collaboration. The COPS Office awards grants to hire community policing 

officers and support the development and testing of innovative policing strategies. COPS Office funding also 

provides training and technical assistance to community members and local government leaders, as well as all 

levels of law enforcement. 

Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to add community policing officers to the 

nation’s streets, enhance crime fighting technology, support crime prevention initiatives, and provide training 

and technical assistance to help advance community policing. Other achievements include the following:

•	 To date, the COPS Office has funded the hiring of approximately 130,000 additional officers by more 

than 13,000 of the nation’s 18,000 law enforcement agencies in both small and large jurisdictions.

•	 Nearly 700,000 law enforcement personnel, community members, and government leaders have been 

trained through COPS Office–funded training organizations.

•	 To date, the COPS Office has distributed more than eight million topic-specific publications, training 

curricula, white papers, and resource CDs and flash drives.

•	 The COPS Office also sponsors conferences, round tables, and other forums focused on issues critical to 

law enforcement.

COPS Office information resources, covering a wide range of community policing topics such as school and 

campus safety, violent crime, and officer safety and wellness, can be downloaded via the COPS Office’s home 

page, www.cops.usdoj.gov. This website is also the grant application portal, providing access to online 

application forms.

Chapter 2 9
State, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies, as well as members of the 

community, have been increasing their use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)—also known 

as drones—because of their increasing utility and effciency. In early 2020, the COPS Offce 

launched a working group comprising leaders in the feld, both local and federal, to identify 

and create vital resources for law enforcement agencies using and confronting the use of 

drones. This publication is a roadmap on how agencies can plan, establish, and implement 

drone programs. 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Offce of Community Oriented Policing Services 

145 N Street NE 

Washington, DC 20530 

To obtain details about COPS Offce programs, 

call the COPS Offce Response Center at 800-421-6770. 

Visit the COPS Offce online at www.cops.usdoj.gov. 

Police Executive Research Forum 

1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 930 

Washington, DC 20036 

202-466-7820 

Visit PERF online at www.policeforum.org. 

e092017965 

Published 2020