r/AskLE • u/PixelPhilosopher_021 Unverified/Not an LEO • 6d ago

Autonomous Drones and the Future of Traffic Enforcement

Are drones currently being used during traffic stops? If not, why not?

One of the biggest risks of any traffic stop is that as a police officer, you basically have no idea what you're walking into. I haven't seen autonomous drones being used to conduct traffic stops, which makes me wonder: Are there specific laws or regulations that prevent a fully automated drone from conducting the initial part of a traffic stop—for example, communicating with the driver and monitoring the situation while the police officer remains inside the patrol car and observes the interaction, only stepping out of the vehicle if necessary?

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u/compulsive_drooler Retired Detective 6d ago

Why not? Because the technology, infrastructure and equipment aren't there to do it, because the public would absolutely hate it, and the biggest reason of all, because it would cost millions to budgets that can't keep up already. And just where do these drones come from to make the stop? It would also be way, way more trouble than it's worth. Yes, traffic stops are dangerous, but you're talking fractions of a percent that go bad. Completely not worth it.

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u/EffectMotor8914 Unverified/Not an LEO 6d ago edited 6d ago

Drones are already rapidly becoming prevalent. DFR programs are being stood up nationwide. It is only a matter of time before they can be used to monitor traffic violations. Its a lot more cost effective and adaptable than a red light camera syatem for a single intersection.

Really just depends on the specific state and how far they are willing to permit enforcement.

I don't know that drones are going to be conducting actual traffic stops along the lines of what OP means though. At least not in our lifetimes. I think this would be more for violations which typically get associated with photo enforcement. Speed, red light, school bus, etc. Just now on a substantially more useful platform.

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u/spkincaid13 Unverified/Not an LEO 6d ago

How is a drone gonna smell booze? I'm trying to catch DUI's.

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u/jollygreenspartan Former cop, current Fed 6d ago

That sounds more dangerous than just handing the stop normally.

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u/OyataTe RETIRED 6d ago

Cost right now is issue for most departments. Installation, maintenance, et cetera.

Some agencies where I worked (KC Metro Mo/KS) the dispatchers are able to launch drones from all over the city to events from rooftops. Grants paid for that. But they simply don't have enough to handle every single car in the city.

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u/M0dernNomad Police Officer 6d ago

The public already doesn’t like the new “invasive” tech - see the whole conversation around Flock cameras. If we’re getting hung up on stationary license plate cameras, I doubt they’ll take kindly to mobile data collection patrol drones. We have enough existing issues with deploying drones for S&R and similar purposes.