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Santa Ana Police Department <br /> Santa Ana PD Policy Manual <br /> Unmanned Aerial System <br /> 606.2 POLICY <br /> It is the policy of the Santa Ana Police Department to use unmanned aerial systems to enhance <br /> the Department's ability to protect lives and property, document crime/collision scenes, and <br /> perform a variety of flights that promote public safety and public service. UAS Unit flights will be <br /> accomplished efficiently and safely while respecting the law and the privacy of the public. All UAS <br /> applications will obey Federal, State, and City laws, and shall respect Constitutional rights, privacy <br /> rights, search and seizure regulations, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. <br /> 606.3 FAA REGULATIONS AND PRIVACY CONSIDERATIONS <br /> The use of a UAS requires considering the community's privacy. Personnel involved in the <br /> deployment of a UAS will consider the protection of individuals' civil rights and reasonable <br /> expectation of privacy as a key component of any decision made prior to deploying the UAS. UAS <br /> RPIC, pilots, and VOs will ensure operations of the UAS intrude as little as possible upon those <br /> who live, work, and visit the area of deployment. <br /> Absent a warrant or exigent circumstances, UAS RPIC and VO who operate a UAS shall adhere to <br /> all FAA regulations, including altitude regulations, and will obtain the proper authorization for flight. <br /> Operators and observers shall not intentionally record or transmit images of any location where <br /> a person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy and shall take reasonable precautions <br /> to avoid inadvertent recording or transmitting images of areas where there is a reasonable <br /> expectation of privacy. Reasonable precautions may include, for example, deactivating or turning <br /> imaging devices away from such areas or persons during UAS operations to minimize inadvertent <br /> video or still images of uninvolved persons. The need, availability, and use of the UAS will not <br /> supersede the issuance of a warrant when otherwise required. <br /> 606.4 UAS UNIT PERSONNEL <br /> The UAS Unit is a collateral assignment that includes both sworn and civilian personnel from the <br /> City. Regardless of which City department the personnel belong to, all UAS Unit personnel shall <br /> abide by this policy. <br /> 606.4.1 UAS UNIT COMMANDER <br /> The Chief of Police will appoint a UAS Commander, who will be responsible for managing the <br /> UAS program. The UAS Commander will ensure that policies and procedures conform to current <br /> laws, regulations, and best practices and will have the following additional responsibilities: <br /> (a) Coordinating the FAA Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA)application process <br /> and ensuring the COA is current, and/or coordinating compliance with FAA Part 107 <br /> Remote Pilot Certificate, as appropriate for department operations. <br /> (b) Ensuring that all authorized operators and required observers have completed all <br /> required FAA and department-approved training in the operation, applicable laws, <br /> policies, and procedures regarding use of the UAS. <br /> (c) Developing uniform protocol for submission and evaluation of requests to deploy a <br /> UAS, including urgent requests made during ongoing or emerging incidents. <br /> (li¢�yroA ptjp6iFLC 2026/01/05,All Rights Reserved. ***DRAFT51t 56 Unmanned Aerial 2�}� <br /> `�'u�lished'w`ii permission by Santa Ana Police Department <br />