Mission:

The mission of the Vallejo Police Department’s Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) program is to provide airborne support to police operations in a safe, responsible, and measured, transparent manner to preserve the peace and increase the quality of life in the City of Vallejo.

Overview:

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) may be utilized to enhance the department’s mission of protecting lives and property when other means and resources are not available or are less effective. Any use of an UAS will be in strict accordance with constitutional and privacy rights and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

History:

The Vallejo Police Department’s UAS program (Tech Team) was started in September 2017 when five officers were selected to operate the department’s drones. Currently, the Tech Team has five pilots that are trained and certified by the Federal Aviation Administration as unmanned aircraft pilots. Tech Team members are assigned to patrol and can assist with backyard and building searches, photo and video collection of crime scenes, and reconnaissance on calls involving potentially violent suspects and situations. The Tech team is a component of the Vallejo Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit (ESU) and has been utilized to assist with SWAT callouts and pre-planned operations such as search warrants and protests.

Benefits of Utilizing UAS Drone Technology:

• Allows officers and authorized personnel to gather important information about hazards, threats or lack thereof;

• Allows officers and authorized personnel to view and develop sound enforcement and de-escalation strategies to safely mitigate crime and avoid unnecessary confrontations.

Outreach

The Vallejo Police Department is committed to increasing transparency by educating our community on drone technology, usage and public safety benefits. The Department will work with community stakeholders and local privacy and civil liberty groups to share information and provide clarity on our policies and procedures.

Recent UAS Deployment / Success Stories: 

7/15/21 - Assisted patrol with looking for an armed subject.

7/14/21 - Assisted evidence with aerial photos of crime scene. 

7/13/21 - Assisted patrol with apprehension of armed domestic violence suspect (see video).

7/13/21 - Assisted NAPA NSIB with surveillance of suspects' houses. 

Please click the quick links below to view Department UAS policy, Flight Logs, FAQs and related news and information.