San Francisco Mayor London Breed, together with Police Chief William Scott and District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, recently showcased results from the city's innovative public safety drone program. According to the City and County of San Francisco, the program initiatives, which have been instituted following the voter-approved Proposition E, have aided in achieving decade-low crime levels in San Francisco.

During a briefing at SFPD headquarters, footage and details were shared demonstrating how the SFPD's initial deployment of six drones, with plans for more, bolstered their ability to swiftly and accurately respond to crimes. As conveyed by Mayor Breed and Chief Scott, the integration of drones has become a key asset in modernizing the city's police force. According to Mayor Breed, these tools enable officers to respond faster and more safely to incidents.

As crime continues to decline across San Francisco our new drone program is already proving to be an effective tool.

With the voter approved Proposition E these advanced tools are enabling our police to respond faster and more safely. pic.twitter.com/clrIQqPTfC

— London Breed (@LondonBreed) August 6, 2024

One example detailed by the City and County of San Francisco and echoed in Mayor Breed's post explains how, on July 26th, a drone was instrumental in the arrest of two suspects on dirt bikes who were breaking into cars along the Embarcadero. The following day, SFPD officers utilized a drone to apprehend an auto burglary crew in the same vicinity, recovering all the stolen property.

The drone program also dovetails with other high-tech instruments, such as Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) and public safety cameras, further enhancing the SFPD's capabilities in crime response. This synergy of technologies, coupled with responsible usage policies and FAA-certified operators, ensures that citizens' privacy is respected alongside the advancement of public safety. The results speak to a crime reduction across San Francisco, with a 35% decrease in overall property crime and a 13% reduction in violent crime year to date, an achievement acknowledged by Police Officers Association President Tracy McCray as a testament to the beneficial impact of Proposition E on community safety.