SFPD’s Drone Program
Here’s Looking At You!
• • • • • • • May 2025 • • • • • • •
Ayoung woman’s smartphone was stolen on the street. With the deployment of a drone, the suspect was arrested, the fellow to whom he sold the phone was identified, and the phone was retrieved from the buyer’s car – all within 25 minutes! So, drones can locate not just the perpetrator but any associates and their vehicles.
Drones are now being used as First Responders, hence the acronym DFR. Essentially, the SFPD has strategically pre-deployed some 58 drones at secret sites in high-crime areas of the City, according to Capt. Thomas Maguire. Even so, only 10-15% of the City is now covered. When a serious 911 call comes in, the licensed drone Operator pushes a button to launch the closest device from its dock to the crime location. Alongside the trained Operator is a Visual Observer who tracks the device to avoid obstacles.
Nearby cops, uniformed and plain-clothes, are connected to a live stream of drone images. That synergy allows for immediate intervention and highly reliable visual data. Previously, cops relied on witness descriptions of variable reliability. Then, they had to canvas the area for cameras, seek permission to access the film, find someone who had the password to the video, hope that the video was clear – or even there – and sometimes had to get search warrants. Investigations that took weeks or months could now be concluded in an hour or less.
Forum: Drones and Public Safety
Local anti-crime non-profit Stop Crime SF sponsored “Drones and Public Safety” forum on May 21st at the Northern Police Station on Fillmore Street. Some 50 people attended, including a handful of officers with SFPD’s drone program.
Following introductions by Anna Kearney, Stop Crime SF’s Development Director, and under the watchful eye of co-founder Frank Noto, we heard from officers from SFPD’s Real-Time Investigation Center. The 4 drone models currently in use were displayed, from a tiny 8-inch model to an imposing 26-inch device fitted with a speaker, heat-sensing camera, searchlight, and zoom optics. Attendees were treated to a drone flight demonstration that surveyed the station’s parking lot.
The Real-Time Investigation Team consists of Capt. Thomas Maguire and Lt. Scott Ryan in Strategic Investigations, Capt. Steve Jonas in Field Operations, and Sgt. Tony Suhrke. Dmitri Shimolin, CEO of SafeCity Connect, manages the City’s security camera network and collaborates with SFPD’s drone team.
Capt. Maguire believes that drones, license plate readers and security cameras are partially responsible for the recent decline in crimes. Last year, in collaboration with the Oakland PD, some 500 felony arrests resulted from real-time technology that integrated license plate readers, security camera networks, and drones.”
Drones in Action
Drone guidance can also render pursuits more effective and safer. Here’s a KTVU report showing how a drone was launched to quickly arrest robbers who almost got away with goods from Burberry’s in Union Square. Another stirring tech-facilitated arrest of violent robbers is described here in the SF Chronicle.
Importantly, video images are much more reliable than witness statements. Witness misidentifications are the overwhelming cause of wrongful arrests and convictions, per the Innocence Project. Capt. Maguire believes that drones, license plate readers and security cameras are partially responsible for the recent decline in crimes. Last year, in collaboration with the Oakland PD, some 500 felony arrests resulted from real-time technology that integrated license plate readers, security camera networks, and drones.
Though still limited, such tech-boosted interventions can have outsized effects on crimes. For example, a few prolific outlaws often conduct auto break-ins and graffiti crimes. Busting a small number of these offenders has significantly reduced those crimes. Capt. Steve Jonas reported that when just 7 taggers were caught, graffiti vandalism dropped by 50% - with an estimated savings of $20 million/year. Despite the efficiency gains from technology, Capt. Maguire asserted that we need more cops and more precise technology to stay ahead of criminals.
SFPD drones are fast, usually 45 miles/hour. Speeds are capped at 100 miles/hour by SFPD policy. Depending on the model used, they can stay in flight for 30 minutes to 2 hours. But they don’t crash. Once the battery runs low, a signal is emitted, and the device can be returned home. Or, it will slowly land safely on its own. Flight patterns are guided by Federal Aviation Agency rules, staying below 400 feet.
Privacy versus Safety
In 2024, 54% of San Francisco voters approved Proposition E which undergirds the drone program. Yet, 46% of voters were worried about infringements on privacy, civil rights, and the First Amendment. So were experts at the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Former Mayor London Breed avidly supported Prop E. Now, “The Real-Time Investigation Center is a turning point for public safety in San Francisco. By giving our officers real-time information from across the City, we’re helping them respond faster, make smarter choices, and stay safe” Mayor Daniel Lurie stated.
Capt. Maguire emphasized that drones are only used in response to serious crimes. They are not used for surveillance of the public or peaceful demonstrations. Nor do they track individuals who are not involved in crimes. Similarly, stationary security cameras linked to the SFPD are not monitored unless a crime is reported. Moreover, SFPD drones do not currently use facial recognition technology. Per SFPD policy, drones are not armed with weapons.
The fears expressed by opponents of Proposition E have not materialized. A balance between privacy and safety appears in SFPD’s comprehensive policies governing the use of drones, one for technical staff and another for tactical staff. Transparency is evident in the disclosure of Flight Logs for drone sorties since May 2024, provided on SFPD’s Drone website. Here is the Flight Log for March 2025.
Private-Public Camera Network
Dmitri Shimolin from SafeCity Connect discussed the private-public partnership underlying the forensic-grade camera network that is linked to the SFPD. Some businesses and property owners have volunteered to give SafeCity Connect and the police access to their recordings via electronic linkages. Automated license plate readers, drone recordings, and other sensors are integrated with security camera networks.
The network covers about 100 City blocks and is gradually expanding. Community Benefit Districts are eager participants, including crime hot spots like Union Square, the Tenderloin, and Fisherman’s Wharf.
“The San Francisco SafeCity camera program is an important crime prevention tool for our City... Empowering community members with the right controls in place, SafeCity strengthens the evidence chain and improves the ability for law enforcement to respond to public safety challenges with balance and accountability,” Former Mayor London Breed declared.
By policy, these cameras do not have audio or facial recognition capabilities. The images they capture are objective and dependable. Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be used in video analyses to better identify threats like firearms. However, making the system work requires coordination. That’s what SafeCity Connect does; making connections, recovering and compiling film, maintaining chain of custody procedures, and ensuring timely data delivery to the District Attorney for court cases. Thus far, 4 hours of camera work has generates one arrest, Mr. Shimolan said.
In sum, real-time technology is transforming police work - for the better. Since policing is influenced by politics and political decisions can infringe on civil rights, applying these tools requires ongoing scrutiny.
Dr. Derek Kerr is a San Francisco investigative reporter for the Westside Observer and a member of SPJ-NorCal. Contact: watchdogs@westsideobserver.com
May 2025
