St. Louis police drone unit responds to first call after authorization vote
St. Louis's Board of Police Commissioners approved the city's new drone first-responder rules 4-1 on 4 November. Local television reported the unit's first response later the same day, to a call about a suspicious person. Mayor Cara Spencer opposed the policy over review time and privacy concerns.
Thu, 5 Nov 2026
A local emergency-response program is now moving from authorization into actual deployments, while its camera and audit rules remain publicly contested.
Look for published flight records, camera activation criteria, retention rules and response outcomes before judging whether the program delivers its stated benefits.