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1. What is a drone or UAS?

UAS is an Unmanned Aerial System and is commonly called a drone. A drone is an aerial device with an onboard computer that is operated remotely, generally by a pilot on the ground using a handheld controller. Small drones are battery operated, weigh less than 55 pounds, have several rotors like a helicopter, and are equipped with a video camera.

2. What is the difference in the terms Drone, UAS, and UAV?

A UAV is an unmanned aerial vehicle and differs from an unmanned aerial/aircraft system (UAS) in one major way: a UAV is referring to the aircraft itself, not the ground control and communications units.

The word drone is the most popular synonym for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aerial/aircraft system (UAS).  UAV and UAS are terms that originated with the military and now, because of all the public access to these types of aircraft platforms, the term “UAS” has emerged as a replacement for "UAV” and “drone”.

3. What type of missions does the UAS program fly?

Listed below are examples of the types of missions for which UAS systems may be deployed. This list is not exhaustive, and other types of missions may be flown provided they follow County and agency policies and are approved by the incident commander or remote Pilot-in-Command.

• Damage Assessment (natural or man-made event)
  • Structural, flood related, environment, transportation, pipeline breaks, and rail incidents.
  • Enhanced search grids through onboard software.
• Search and Rescue Missions (individuals, aircraft, vehicles and objects)
  • Search for endangered or critical missing individuals.
  • Provide a large-scale overview of the search area.
  • Identify potential hazards for search teams and vehicles.
  • Allow for limited tracking of search teams in an area.
  • Provide photographic and video capability and analysis.
  • Scene awareness and life safety to identify potential hazards to responders.
• Fire Scene Management
  • Overflight of structure fires (residential and commercial) by providing a 360-degree view for the incident commander.
  • Aerial management and coordination for large outside fires to help determine the extent of coverage and identify structures, exposures or another infrastructure that may be impacted.
  • Assist in helping account for personnel on the fire ground.
  • Provide real-time aerial video footage of large-scale incidents.
  • Assist in evaluating hazards, structure integrity and helping to ensure scene safety.
• Fire / Explosives Investigations
  • Assist fire investigators in assessing and documenting fire scenes for an overall scope of the scene.
  • Provide detailed overhead views of large fire scenes from multiple angles and is safer than placing aerial ladders in multiple locations to get aerial photos. This is both a time saving and safety issue. The UAS can also zoom in or fly in to get extreme close-up photos and distant scene photos that would normally require the use of the County Police’s helicopter unit or other aviation assets.
  • Assist Blasting Enforcement Officer in developing requirements for blast site safety zones for commercial blasting projects.
  • Assist in post blast investigations in locating blast scene radius and areas impacted by an explosion.
• Hazardous Materials
  • Infrared (IR) Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) capabilities of the UAS in tracking flows of hazardous materials on waterways during a hazardous materials incident.
  • Assist with hazard identification and development of safety measures.
  • Provide area reconnaissance information without placing personnel in potentially hazardous locations:
    • Assist in determining hazardous materials involvement.
    • Determine potential run-off/movement of hazardous materials.
    • Ensure area is clear of the public.
• Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)
  • Assist with area reconnaissance including urban, suburban and rural locations.
  • Assist with personnel tracking and accountability in wide area search.
  • Provide real-time aerial video footage of rescue operations including but not limited to:
    • Trench rescue.
    • Structural collapse
    • Swift water rescue
• Public Safety
  • Provide aerial mapping support to assist in crash reconstruction.
  • Provide aerial mapping, photographing and analyzing crime scenes.
  • Provide real-time traffic impact assessment and 3D mapping due to vehicle crashes or significant events (such as road backups/alternate routes of travel, weather, or evacuations).
  • Provide real-time situational awareness during managed deer hunts and sharpshooting operations on approved parklands to help provide an additional layer of safety for those involved and surrounding properties and residents.
  • Perimeter security.
• Dive Team Support
  • Reconnaissance of the area for best access points into the water.
  • Potentially identify the location of a missing vehicle/person (shadows, tire marks).
  • Scene awareness to identify potential hazards to responders.
• Geospatial Data Acquisition
  • Orthomosaics
  • Elevation Surfaces
  • Digital Surface Models
  • 3D Point Clouds.

4. How is my privacy protected?

The Sugar Land Police Department UAS program policy prohibits UA operators from intentionally recording or transmitting images of any location where a person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as private backyards or inside private buildings, except where authorized by a warrant issued by a judge or in emergency situations. Reasonable precautions can include, for example, deactivating or turning imaging devices away from such areas or persons during UAS operations.

5. Where is the video and photos taken by the UAS stored?

All video activation and/or photo evidence collected during any UAS mission is stored in the same manner and location as Body Worn Camera (BWC) video and other investigative evidence. The Police Department utilizes a private “cloud” service, Evidence.com, to store all digital evidence. The service is authorized and certified under both state and federal regulations for the security and protection of confidential information, and is available only for official law enforcement purposes. Evidence is stored and saved for a limited time (one year or less) unless it is categorized as evidence in an actual crime or formal investigation. Then it is stored for a period of time consistent with all other evidence related to that incident/investigation.

6. Who has access to the video and photos?

Video and photos that are collected by UAS are stored for the purposes of conducting police investigation and subsequent prosecutions. Accordingly, videos and photos are generally accessible to police investigators for official use only. Like all police records, video and photos may also be subject to additional release under the same rules and restrictions as BWC Video and other items of evidence. Generally, UAS photos and video are considered part of the investigative record and are not available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). For more details, please refer to the Sugar Land Police Department policy on Body Cameras

7. What training do UAS pilots undergo?

In addition to the training and study required to maintain a FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot License, all Sugar Land Police UAS Team members train regularly in a variety of locations and settings to ensure operational efficiency. All training is documented, and the records are maintained by Sugar Land Police Department and are subject to review by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

8. What rules and regulations must Sugar Land Police UAS pilots follow?

All Sugar Land Police UAS pilots are subject to FAA regulations related to airspace use, and all must have a valid “Part 107” Remote Pilot License. UAS Pilots are also subject to the Sugar Land Police Department Policy on UAS Operations. 

9. Why does Sugar Land Police Department use UAS rather than helicopters?

Helicopters and other manned aircraft (air support) are very expensive to operate. Currently, The Sugar Land Police Department relies on the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department, Houston Police Department, and the Texas Highway Patrol for air support. UAS can be used in a variety of ways that supplement mutual aid air support requests in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

10. Who authorizes the use and deployment of the UAS?

The UAS Program Manager (Lieutenant) or UAS Program Coordinator (Sergeant) authorizes the use and deployment of the UAS. In emergency or exigent situations, the on-duty Watch Commander can authorize the deployment of a UAS.

11. What type of drones does the Police Department have?

The Police Department has two (2) Drones, 

• DJI Matrice 300 RTK
  • Maximum Speed – 51 mph
  • Maximum Range – 9.3 miles
  • Flight Time – 55 minutes
  • Weight – 20 pounds
• DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advance
  • Maximum Speed – 45 mph
  • Maximum Range – 6.2 Miles*
  • Flight Time – 31 minutes
  • Weight – 2.5 pounds

* Drones flown by SLPD Police Officers must remain in Visual Light of Sight (VLOS).  An exception to flights beyond visual light of site, is through an approved FAA Waiver for First Responders, Tactical Beyond Visual Light of Sight (TBVLOS).  TBVLOS is only to be used in extreme emergency situations to safeguard human life.  The drone must remain within 1500 feet of the Pilot in Charge (PIC).