The Columbia Police Department’s E-Bike Patrol Unit represents the evolution of community policing by combining mobility, visibility, and accessibility to better serve residents and visitors. Designed to patrol parks, trails, entertainment districts, special events, and other high-traffic areas, e-bike officers can respond quickly while maintaining meaningful interactions with the community. By increasing officer presence in areas not easily accessible by traditional patrol vehicles, the unit enhances public safety, deters crime, and strengthens relationships through proactive engagement.
Drone Unit
What is the purpose of this new drone initiative?
To better serve the community by utilizing technology. Increase safety, reduce crime, and assist in locating suspects and missing persons.
What is the expected impact of the use of this drone initiative in the City of Columbia?
The initiative will provide officers and incident command with better situational awareness to make decisions during significant incidents. Drones will assist in efficiently reducing crime and locating suspects.
How do drones assist our first responders?
Drones provide first responders an eye in the sky vantage point when responding to significant incidents,locating suspects or monitoring large scale events such as festivals, concerts or protests. This ability improvessituational awareness, increases officer safety and the ability to apprehend suspects quickly.
Are there any regulations that affect drones? Do they have any limitations?
Drones are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and they have restrictions on what airspace they can fly in, how high they can fly and what they can fly over. CPD Drone Pilots are required to obtain a Drone Certification from the FAA, and complete logged flight hours, prior to flying the drones so they can lawfully and safely operate them.
What technology do drones use to assist officers? Motion and/or heat sensors, Aerial views, etc.?
CPD Drones have cameras with a high quality zoomcapabilities, thermal imaging, obstacle avoidance, spot lights and external speakers for providing verbal directions to officers or citizens within range of the drone.
Who are the pilots of these drones, and what are the requirements and experience needed to operate one?
The unit is headed by the Special Operation Lt. Rease and I, LCPL Gibb, am the Chief Pilot. Together we have selected five patrol and investigator level officers that are currently completing a training course in preparation for the FAA Part 107 certification test. Once licensed these officers will have the ability to deploy these drones at any given time during their assigned patrol shift. The goal is to have a minimum of (1) drone available in the city at all time.
What should citizens of the City of Columbia understand about this program regarding their privacy?
These drones will be utilized to reduce crime and flown only in areas where they are allowed to be flown within the scope of the Federal regulations as well as within the parameters established within the agencies directives and procedures. All of the drone’s flights are GPS tracked and recorded. All media from the drones is uploaded into our evidence cloud automatically and can be reviewed by CPD Supervision at any time. There will be randomized inspections and video reviews to ensure pilots are properly utilizing the drones and remaining within the laws and regulations.
What specific policies does the City of Columbia have in place to ensure the appropriate handling of public surveillance and access to this video?
As part of the establishment of the Drone Unit a Policy was created to ensure the integrity of the unit, the equipment and the officers. This policy was reviewed through the entire chain of command. As mentioned, the drones flights are all logged automatically and available for review by CPD Supervision to ensure compliance of the policy guidelines.
What conditions can the drones be flown in?
The drones can be flown in all weather conditions including rain, providing that there is no great loss in visibility from fog or heavy rain.
What would you say to citizens concerned about privacy violations through the use of drones?
See above. Also, the City of Columbia has a drone ordinance 14-107.- Careless operation of drone. If there is ever a concern of how a drone is being utilized, citizens are encouraged to call us and speak with an officer to see if there is or is not a violation occurring.
How will the police department act transparently regarding the recording of the public and the storage and access of that video?
(See above). The video is preserved on our evidence website and may be subject to FOIA. I would refer this question to Columbia Legal or our FOIA personnel.