Stockton police use drones for suspect searches, SWAT operations, and warrant service, among other purposes.
A Fast-Growing Aerial Fleet
The Facebook post is a snapshot of a tactic that has become routine for Stockton police. Drone deployments by the department jumped from 642 in 2023 to 1,059 in 2024 and 1,236 in 2025, according to Stocktonia News, making drones the most heavily used piece of military-designated equipment in the department's inventory. The department already had 24 drones after adding three in 2025; the City Council approved nine additional drones for purchase, the outlet reported.
That expansion builds on an even larger investment made earlier in the year. In April, Stockton city leaders approved a $3.15 million expansion with Flock Safety to launch six Drone as First Responder aircraft capable of reaching 911 calls within 30 seconds to four minutes across 75% of the city, per ABC10. The program, the station noted, stirred local debate over the balance between public safety efficiency and privacy concerns.
What the Law Requires
What the Law Requires Fourth Amendment case law has addressed warrant requirements for thermal imaging of a home, as discussed by Homeland Security Today.
State law adds another layer of oversight. California Assembly Bill 481, signed into law in 2021, requires local police departments to get city council approval before purchasing, funding, or deploying equipment like unmanned aircraft systems, according to Digital Democracy. The law also mandates annual public reporting on equipment inventory, usage frequency, costs, policy violations, and citizen complaints, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has noted.
Stockton's own 2026 military equipment report put estimated current and future costs at $3.23 million, including $1 million spent in 2025 on training, supplies, and maintenance, with more than $2 million budgeted for future acquisitions, Stocktonia News reported. The same report listed primary drone uses as suspect searches, SWAT operations, warrant service, locating missing persons, search and rescue, suspicious-device investigations, and illegal-sideshow monitoring.
Privacy Safeguards and Data Rules
Privacy Safeguards and Data Rules Department officials have said the California Values Act bars sharing drone data with federal immigration enforcement, per ABC10's reporting from the April council hearings, where police officials emphasized local data ownership.
Stockton isn't alone in leaning on aerial reconnaissance for high-risk police work. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office Special Enforcement Detail generally uses unmanned aircraft and assisted with a search warrant served at a residence in south Sacramento in an investigation connected to a robbery in Galt, Hoodline reported.
