Syracuse police say new drones could be used on any call, not just high priority ones (2025)

Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse officials announced in January that residents could weigh in on a proposed police drone program.

The new drones would fly to “high priority” calls, such as shootings and burglaries, a City Hall news release said. A live video feed from a drone could improve how officers respond to serious incidents, officials said.

City police officials are now proposing to send a drone to any incident that would enhance public safety. The person flying the drone from an off-site control room could size up the situation and potentially close out a call if it doesn’t need an officer response.

“We can go and take care of a few lower priority calls to then allow the officers to work more efficiently,” said Syracuse Police Sgt. Jason Wells, “and more quickly respond to more dangerous calls.”

City lawmakers had a chilly response at a committee meeting Wednesday morning to the proposal.

Councilor Corey Williams questioned whether it was appropriate to send out a drone any time it would “enhance public safety,” quoting from a draft policy document.

“That to me sounds like carte blanche, you can use it whenever you want,” he said.

Wells didn’t see an issue with sending a drone to any 911 call since calling 911 is by definition asking for a police response.

“This is just another tool for us,” he said.

Councilor Chol Majok suggested the program be authorized for one year to test it out. Lawmakers could then look at the initial results, he said, and decide whether to approve a long-term contract.

Police officials touted the “drone as a first responder” program as a way to help deal with a persistent staffing shortage.

Wells said some 911 calls sit for hours waiting for an officer to become available to meet a resident. Meanwhile, he said, there are calls where no one wants to meet and could potentially be handled with a drone.

Wells said the police department is seeking to buy five new drones. One or two would be on the city’s North Side, and two or three on the South Side.

The drones would initially be deployed during four-hour blocks that have a high call volume, Wells said. That could be noon to 4 p.m., or 2 to 6 p.m.

The drones will be fitted with three cameras. A camera that can zoom, one looking at the horizon for the pilot and another with infrared capabilities.

Police officials previously said a page would be added to the department website with a listing of drone flights, detailing where they went and why.

Syracuse officials have already given an initial signoff on the program. Common councilors voted unanimously last fall to spend $250,000 on it. They did not discuss the program before approving it at their Nov. 12 meeting.

The police department also won a state grant for $369,000 for drones. Police officials have refused to say how much the program will cost.

A council vote on a key contract has been delayed. Still, police say the program could take flight this summer.

The city’s Surveillance Technology Working Group — a committee that provides guidance about purchasing technology that may raise privacy concerns — recently approved the program.

Daniel Schwarz, a privacy strategist at the New York Civil Liberties Union, was the only “no” vote.

He previously said officials need to limit the types of incidents in which police could deploy a drone.

There should be a “very strict” policy about when drones can be used, he said, so “we’re not seeing an explosion in drone flights over communities, over people’s backyards.”

Staff writer Jon Moss covers breaking news, crime and public safety. He can be reached at jmoss@syracuse.com or @mossjon7.