Portland police consider expanding drone program amid public concern

The Portland Police Bureau appears to have the support of city leaders in expanding its drone program, even though public doubts remain about whether the aircraft raise surveillance and privacy concerns.

During a half-hour discussion Wednesday, FBI representatives asked the Portland City Council for approval to expand its unmanned aerial systems policy, effectively gaining more opportunities to send the devices into the air during investigations.

FBI officials also requested $98,000 for training and equipment. These funds would come from existing sources, such as the money the FBI collects from asset seizures.

The Commissioners seemed open-minded. They made no changes to the Bureau's proposal and adopted it at first reading. It still has to be adopted at second reading in the coming weeks.

Commissioner Dan Ryan once called on police to begin releasing data on the demographics of Portland residents whose calls resulted in drone deployments.

Sergeant James Defrain, the program's director, acknowledged public concerns several times in his presentation. He and Portland Police Chief Bob Day said the office's new policies would be consistent with the state's existing laws.

“I obviously want there to be a high level of oversight and transparency anytime we enter the realm of technology and law enforcement,” Day said. He said he wants citizens to know that officers are not operating “outside the boundaries already established by the state.”

Related: Investigation of drones used by the Portland Police Bureau

The agency's proposed language is nearly identical to the policy in the police departments' handbooks in Gresham, Oregon City, Tigard and Tualatin. It requires reasonable suspicion to use drones, prohibits them from “arbitrary or indiscriminate” surveillance, and prohibits them from being used for crowd control unless it's a “life-threatening incident.”

Portland police are considering using drones for future operations, such as combating street racing and shoplifting, Defrain said. Drones have already helped track down people who flee in cars and run into residential areas, he said.

The office has been using drones on a limited basis since April 2023. Their use is apparently limited to search and rescue missions, investigations related to traffic or explosives, and special emergencies such as hostage situations.

Between June 2023 and July 2024, the office deployed drones for an average of nine missions per month. The office has 16 trained pilots, Defrain said.

According to public data, the police used drones in 129 operations between June 2023 and July 2024. 34 of these involved traffic accidents and 25 were used to execute a search warrant.

Related: Portland passes surveillance technology policy 2 years after banning facial recognition software

According to the data, police used drones 51 times in “urgent” situations. The FBI's handbook defines “urgent circumstances” as a situation “in which probable cause exists for a search or seizure and police must act quickly to prevent danger to life, the imminent destruction of evidence, or the escape of a suspect.”

Officers have reportedly already used drones in ways that raised eyebrows among some citizens opposed to the policy changes. One incident that was brought up several times during the council meeting involved officers in August 2023 flying a drone into a home while pursuing a man suspected of aggravated robbery. According to the police report, police had spent two hours on the phone with the man inside the home before deploying a drone to “clean up” the crime scene.

“The drone pilots used the device to search the apartment remotely without endangering officers or the public,” an official later wrote. The incident was first reported in the online publication RedTail, which covers technology and artificial intelligence.

Dan Handelman of the police watchdog group Portland Copwatch expressed concern during the hearing, calling on police to collect and report demographic data on the bureau's drone use.

“We urge the Council to review this policy before agreeing to a comprehensive expansion of the program,” he said.