Drones Take the Lead in Detroit Police Work

The idea of using flying robots to aid police has grown as the machines become smarter.

In Macomb County, officials are testing a brand called Skydio. These drones can hover for half an hour and travel up to three miles without needing a pilot on the ground.

When someone reported a broken‑in car, officers showed how a drone spotted and caught the thief before any patrol car arrived.

“Because we don’t have cameras that read faces or license plates, there is no spying,” said the sheriff’s commander.

Residents have mixed feelings: some say they feel uneasy, while others think it won’t affect them because they are not criminals.

Oakland County has been using drones for five years and is now looking at a new model, FLOCK. The county’s board debated whether the cameras could share data with federal agencies or read license plates, raising privacy worries.

The sheriff argues the drones are short‑lived and not meant for spying, pointing to a transparency dashboard that logs all drone activity. He also notes that U.S. regulations have stopped the import of certain Chinese drones, so options are limited to Skydio or FLOCK.

Both counties promise strict rules:

• Drones will not be used for mass surveillance.
• Any suspicious sighting would still require a court warrant before further action.

After the trial period, each sheriff’s office plans to review how the technology fits into their service.