Key takeaways
- Law enforcement drones with AI can reduce paperwork and routine tasks for officers
- Police use of autonomous aerial vehicles improves safety and response times in the field
- Transparency and community engagement are critical for adopting AI-powered drone tech
- AAVs enhance police capabilities rather than replace officers, addressing staffing shortages
- Agencies should prepare now by implementing AI and drone programs
By Lieutenant Ryan Sill
Imagine you’re driving down the road when a police officer pulls you over. You stop on the shoulder and nervously wait. Within moments, a drone with flashing red and blue lights circles your vehicle, illuminating the interior with a floodlight. The drone then instructs you to roll down your window, place your hands on the steering wheel, and wait for an officer to approach. Soon, an officer arrives and completes the traffic stop, all while the drone hovers nearby, recording the entire interaction. Once considered science fiction, this scenario is quickly becoming a reality as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and drone integration advance.
Combining AI with Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) is an industry-changing tool that will enhance patrol officer capabilities, increase effectiveness and efficiency, and allow officers to proactively focus on quality-of-life issues affecting the communities they serve. AI-integrated UAS will act as officer assistants, streamlining many aspects of police work and serving as force multipliers that improve responsiveness to the community. These combined technologies will strengthen an officer’s abilities, be an asset to departments currently facing staffing challenges, and increase safety for both the officer and those contacted in the community.
| DOWNLOAD: How to fund Drone as First Responder programs (eBook)
Increasing officer workload demands
The expectations placed on police officers are immense. They are entrusted with great responsibilities and must be transparent in their work. Over time, the administrative requirements of officers have increased; reviewing, summarizing and labeling body-worn camera footage, inputting racial identity data during traffic stops and writing arrest declarations are examples of administrative burdens officers are challenged with. Each task adds considerable time to each incident handled.
Additionally, community demands on officers have increased as their roles have expanded beyond criminal investigations to assisting in mental health calls and other civil disputes that increase call volume and reduce proactivity. [1] These added tasks and incidents, combined with significant officer vacancy rates, have created a situation where officers have limited discretionary time to proactively engage their communities.
AI, though, has begun to change the law enforcement landscape. Many agencies now utilize AI software to assist officers with tasks through services like automated license plate readers and speech recognition technology. While this has helped improve officer efficiency, many agencies still lack access based on issues related to public mistrust, limited funding, or failed community engagement. [2] Agencies must be diligent to improve in these areas to gain access to AI technology and enhance their officers’ abilities.
As AI continues to evolve, private investment in AI and UAS technology is increasing, with significant advancements expected in the coming years. Companies such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle are investing billions in AI research, particularly with AI giants like Nvidia for data storage and long-term AI projects. These investments illustrate the rapid growth of AI technology, with many developments still ahead. [3]
Similar to AI, drone development is also experiencing a dramatic increase in investment, with over $200 billion expected to be allocated to AI-drone technology by 2033. [4] The compounding advancements of AI and UAS backed by billions in funding and research suggest that the capabilities will continue to increase exponentially, adding to the probability of autonomous UAVs.
Possibilities of autonomous aerial vehicles
Many law enforcement agencies have implemented drone programs or initiated Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs. These programs have proven successful in improving officer safety, reducing call volume and earning community support. [5] With significant financial investment and technological advancements in AI and UAS, the future is an Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (AAV). Developments in this area are already well underway as companies like Lockheed and Anduril are developing warfare solutions with AI-driven drones. AAVs are transitioning to the civilian world and can reshape the law enforcement industry.
With autonomous AI-integrated drones now assisting many agencies in search and rescue and disaster response, the AAV is the next step, with its introduction into daily officer activity beginning to occur. Axon is set to launch a “One-Click” drone request later this year. This feature will allow an officer to instantly request assistance from an autonomous drone through a click of a button on his or her assigned bodycam. According to Axon, this will mean that “…by combining real-time body camera data with autonomous drone technology, agencies will gain immediate aerial support.” [6] The future is one where an AAV can be assigned to each officer, deploying from a patrol car, operating independently without the need for a pilot, responding to voice commands, and completing tasks as directed by the officer.
Benefits for patrol
🚔Traffic stops
Drones can illuminate vehicles, record interactions and run plates in real time while the officer maintains focus on safety
👁️Scene security
While an officer engages with victims or suspects, the drone provides overhead situational awareness
📝Paperwork reduction
The drone assistant could auto-transcribe statements, fill report templates and tag bodycam footage
💬Language support
Real-time translation helps during patrol encounters with non-English speakers
The AAV, tethered to the officer via a wearable device like a BWC or a smartwatch, will deploy during car stops, assist at scenes, and simultaneously scan for wanted subjects and vehicles. The potential of an AAV assistant extends even further — it could develop the capability to track fleeing vehicles or deploy less-lethal devices. [7] Consider an officer completing a report in minutes rather than hours or instantly communicating with a victim speaking another language through real-time speech translation, all completed by an AAV. [8] The AAV assistant will revolutionize law enforcement capabilities.
The possibility of AAVs being implemented at local agencies is accelerating as overseas conflicts are driving the rapid evolution of drones. [9] In addition to the military developments, with private equity heavily invested in drone development, the next logical step is its adaptation for practical domestic applications. [10] Lessons learned from autonomous drone flights, swarming techniques, and data collection are likely to transition into civilian use, particularly in law enforcement. For instance, overseas AI-drones are being utilized to identify war crimes and monitor adversary movements. [7] These types of functions may transfer to law enforcement use by detecting crimes in progress and tracking fleeing suspect vehicles — giving police the ability to monitor and apprehend a suspect without the need to actually initiate a vehicular pursuit. [9]
DFR programs have proven successful in improving officer safety, reducing call volume and earning community support. [6] The next progression is the introduction of AAV assistants. As agencies navigate unprecedented officer vacancy rates, adopting AI-integrated UAS makes sense to ease officer workloads while maintaining high service levels to the community. The AAV will enhance officer abilities rather than replace them, serving to increase efficiency and discretionary time. [11] Through the trials of officer recruitment and retention, most agencies are recognizing that fully staffing their departments is not necessarily attainable; one alternative is to utilize technology to enhance officer abilities. [12]
Keys for AI and AAV integration
To move forward with AI, specifically Generative AI (GenAI) — AI that learns, evolves, and “predicts outcomes in the same ways humans might act or create on their own” [13] — departments must involve the communities they serve. Transparency in sharing information about AAVs, informing the public about policies, and addressing concerns regarding data collection will be crucial in gaining support. Establishing best practices, such as forming community panels to review and provide recommendations regarding AAV use, will help ease concerns and build trust. Sharing success stories through social media and local news outlets can further bolster community confidence. Strong partnerships with the community will also address fears related to unlawful surveillance and privacy violations. [14]
Training note
New officers should learn how to integrate drones into routine patrol, much like learning to use radios or MDTs.
Takeaway — “Treat the drone as an extra set of eyes and ears — not a replacement for your judgment.”
With the capabilities of AAV advancing rapidly, its development and adoption will not happen overnight. GenAI is still evolving as algorithms are being improved upon, real-time data is being enhanced, and new regulations are being adopted. [15] AAV integration will occur incrementally as gradual change allows agencies to proactively prepare by engaging stakeholders, highlighting benefits, and gaining buy-in. Additionally, many remain apprehensive about GenAI and robotics with valid concerns about machine learning capabilities and unreasonable surveillance. As GenAI continues to demonstrate positive results, and other programs like DFR and immediate drone responses become more common, community acceptance will increase, helping to alleviate fears surrounding its use. [16]
While community support is crucial for AAV adoption, another important stakeholder is law enforcement personnel. Officers may be concerned about job displacement due to GenAI integration. [17] Speaking with Rick Flores, former President of the Hayward Police Officers Association and current Bay Area Chapter PORAC Director, he stated, “We are not concerned about job displacement because of GenAI or the use of AI-integrated drones. Most officers embrace new technology and view it as a tool to make work safer and more efficient.” Close collaboration with police unions to emphasize that AAVs are intended to enhance officer abilities rather than replace positions will be essential in minimizing concerns about job displacement. Furthermore, high-level training and the staggered introduction of AAVs will allow officers to work through initial challenges and become confident in their use.
Another key consideration for AAV success in law enforcement is the need for infrastructure and support. Effective GenAI implementation relies on robust data storage and technical expertise. Police departments must identify reliable third-party vendors and recruit specialized personnel to support GenAI software and AAV hardware. [18]
Police agencies are encouraged to begin preparing now for the adoption and implementation of AAVs. Agencies must take the initiative to implement current UAS and AI programs like DFR and Real Time Crime Centers (RTCC). By establishing these programs, they will not only begin to enhance officer capabilities, they will also pave the way for the introduction and use of AAVs.
To further support AAV adoption, agencies should take steps to develop partnerships with AI-based companies, establish dialogue with the community, government officials, and unions to explain AAV benefits, and earmark funding for impending infrastructure and technical support needs. By preparing for the AAV now, police departments will be ready for its implementation, which will optimize resources, enhance public trust through improved service, increase proactivity, and boost job satisfaction — the AAV is an opportunity that can’t be missed for agencies that desire to remain relevant and thrive moving forward.
Community trust
Positioning AAVs as “assistant patrols” emphasizes partnership, not surveillance.
Message — “These drones are here to support officers and protect communities — not to spy.”
Future outlook
By leveraging foresight, strategic planning and stakeholder involvement, law enforcement agencies can effectively prepare for the future of AAV. It will be a transformative tool for public safety, keeping the community and officers safer, improving officer efficiency, and enhancing departmental responsiveness to the communities they serve. Maintaining transparency with the use of AAVs and collaborating with personnel and the community to establish progressive best practices will allow for the effective introduction of AAVs and enhance officer capabilities. Agencies that embrace AAV innovation will position their officers and communities for success in this evolving landscape.
| WATCH: Generative AI in law enforcement: Questions police chiefs need to answer
References
- Geremia M. Paperwork burden in policing. IACP Police Chief. June 2019.
- Schiff KJ, Schiff DS, Adams IT, McCrain J, Mourtgos SM. Institutional factors driving citizen perceptions of AI in government: Evidence from a survey experiment on policing. Public Administration Review. 2023;85(2).
- Leswing K. Nvidia shows no signs of AI slowdown after over 400% increase in data center business. CNBC. May 22, 2024.
- FN Media Group. Global artificial intelligence (AI) drone technology market size expected to reach $206 billion by 2033. Financial News Media. October 2, 2024.
- Bradbury S. Are police drones the inevitable future of law enforcement? Government Technology. May 28, 2024.
- Transforming emergency response: How one-click drone requests improve officer safety and response time. Axon. February 12, 2025.
- Anduril. Anduril and Palantir to accelerate AI capabilities for national security. December 2024.
- Cheng S, Huang Z, Ko T, Li H, Peng N, Xu L, Zhang Q. Towards achieving human parity on end-to-end simultaneous speech translation via LLM agent. September 2, 2024.
- Thompson K. How the drone war in Ukraine is transforming conflict. Council on Foreign Relations. January 16, 2024.
- Srivastava S. AI drone technology—understanding the dynamics and business imperatives. April 11, 2004.
- Jany L. A slimmed-down LAPD seems here to stay. What happens to crime with fewer cops? Los Angeles Times. January 24, 2025.
- Rogers T. 3 ways police can use new technology to tackle staffing challenges. Officer.com. February 25, 2025.
- What is generative AI? Definition, applications, and impact. Coursera. December 20, 2024.
- Graham G. How drones can fit into and support community policing programs. Police1. March 11, 2024.
- Chen J. Applications of artificial intelligence in the field of drones. Applied and Computational Engineering. 2024.
- Hohener D. Guidance facilitating the acceptance of generative artificial intelligence: Insights from digital leaders. Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. 2025.
- Lucchesi ELB. Humans and our alarming fear of robots. Discover Magazine. March 8, 2023.
- UST. UST AI report: 93% of large companies view AI as essential to success, but more than three-quarters face a severe talent shortage. UST Newsroom. August 20, 2024.
About the author
Ryan Sill is a police lieutenant with over 20 years of law enforcement experience. He currently serves as a Patrol Watch Commander with the Hayward (California) Police Department. Outside of patrol, his past roles include criminal investigator and supervisor, SRO Supervisor, SWAT Officer and Team Leader, Peer Support and Wellness Program Manager, and Personnel and Training Administrator. Ryan possesses expertise in criminal investigations, critical incident response, and recruitment and retention. Before joining Hayward PD, he served as a Deputy with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department. Ryan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from California State University East Bay.
This article is based on research conducted as a part of the CA POST Command College. It is a futures study of a particular emerging issue of relevance to law enforcement. Its purpose is not to predict the future; rather, to project a variety of possible scenarios useful for planning and action in anticipation of the emerging landscape facing policing organizations.
The article was created using the futures forecasting process of Command College and its outcomes. Managing the future means influencing it — creating, constraining and adapting to emerging trends and events in a way that optimizes the opportunities and minimizes the threats of relevance to the profession.
