SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA — Police departments across California are rapidly expanding drone programs, prompting growing opposition from residents and privacy advocates concerned about warrantless surveillance, data retention and increasingly automated policing.
Nearly 60 California law enforcement agencies now operate drone programs, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Cities including San Francisco, Berkeley, Santa Ana and Stockton are considering or expanding “Drone as First Responder” programs that allow unmanned aircraft to reach incidents before officers arrive.
California law requires local approval for police acquisition of certain “military equipment,” including drones, but the state does not have a comprehensive law specifically governing law-enforcement drone surveillance. That has left cities developing their own policies while navigating Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches.
The privacy concerns are not hypothetical. The ACLU sued Sonoma County after documenting hundreds of warrantless drone flights over private property during code-enforcement investigations. The county settled the lawsuit last month and agreed to require warrants or consent for many residential inspections and impose tighter restrictions on retained footage.
Meanwhile, Santa Ana approved $682,900 for a drone program, while Stockton expanded a contract with surveillance company Flock Safety by $3.15 million. San Francisco police received a $9.4 million private donation last year to expand drone and surveillance technology.
Police officials argue drones can shorten response times and help officers assess dangerous situations before arriving. However, a 2026 UC Berkeley study found improved response times but no evidence that first-responder drones reduce police shootings, overall use of force or increase case-clearance rates.
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