The Police Department in Oakland, California, is finally equipped with a trio of UAVs in its new drone unit, but public concerns, political opposition, earlier controversies, and an enduring budget crisis required 100% private funding before that program could get off the ground.
Oakland police received their nascent fleet of three DJI drones after a local business owner ponied up $80,000 in to purchase the UAVs. California Waste Solutions recycling owner David Duong was backed by the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council in extending the money, which financed two burly Matrice 300 drones and a smaller Mavic 3 Enterprise. The department had put in requests to procure the vehicles for use in its enforcement and community protect work for years, but a blend of concerns – and a severe budget crisis – had kept the effort from getting clearance.
Oakland’s police drones each sport a thermal camera, spotlight, and public address speaker for deployment in…
