Police departments across North Carolina are putting eyes in the sky, using drones as first responders.
Cities like Winston-Salem, which first deployed drones for on-scene patrols seven years ago, launched their Drones as First Responder program last year. From tracking suspects to locating missing people, the drones are capable of arriving on scene before law enforcement more than half of the time. The Winston-Salem Police Department has conducted more than 700 flights as part of its DFR program.
Locally, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has taken steps to incorporate drones in policing, soliciting proposals from drone companies over the past summer. The department's listing stated the drones would be used for “rapid deployment in emergency situations, surveillance, search and rescue, traffic management, and crime scene monitoring.”
The Mooresville Police Department invested more than $300,000 in drones that can fly up to 400 feet and reach speeds close to 60 mph. The Gastonia Police Department's new Real Time Crime Center plans to acquire its DFR program in January 2026, with license plate recognition included.
Although the benefits of police drone use are clear, concerns remain about privacy, surveillance and civil liberties. How is the collected data stored? How much oversight is there? And what happens when technology once used for emergencies becomes routinely used for monitoring?
We explore the capabilities of the increasing use of drones in policing. We also discuss the tensions and what responsible, transparent drone use might look like.
GUESTS:
Michael Knight, captain of the Criminal Intelligence Bureau at the Winston-Salem Police Department
Stanley, senior policy analyst with the ACLU's Speech, Privacy and Technology Project
Jeffrey B. Welty, professor of Public Law and Government at UNC School of Government
