City of West Sacramento
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Mission and Overview: 
The West Sacramento Police Department is currently in the process of developing a Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) program to enhance response capabilities to a variety of incidents and events. In September 2020, the department established and implemented a department policy authorizing the use of a sUAS development team and identifying the circumstances of when sUAS may be deployed and the requirements for doing so. The policy was modeled from other agencies in the state whom have established programs and follows industry standards and Federal Aviation Administration requirements. The development team began training and operating sUAS and built the program by obtaining certifications, developing procedures and identifying the equipment best suited for the department and the needs of this community. Selection of the sUAS Team was recently completed; this will be a collateral assignment for sworn and non-sworn personnel. The priorities established for the program are to:
- Utilize sUAS technology to minimize risk to the public and officers by providing additional options to avoid violent encounters and utilize de-escalation tactics.
- Aid in the search and rescue of missing persons, swimmers and boaters.
- Enhance our response to bomb squad incident, fire support, hazardous materials incidents and other critical incidents in which it would reduce the risk to personnel entering a hazardous environment.
- Provide cutting edge traffic collision and crime scene evidence documentation methods which will integrate with existing department technology.
- Aid in providing a more expedient and safe resolution to incidents or events which impact the community.
The department currently has five members which have obtained Part 107 Certification from the FAA serving on the sUAS team and the agency has obtained certification from the FAA to operate sUAS as a government public safety agency. The agency has selected five additional team members who are currently in training. In an effort to create transparency during the development of the program, this web page has been established to provide information on the program and to share links to the department policy for sUAS and to the flight logs for deployments by the department.
Drone Programs in the region:
WSPD Drone-Related Activity:
Beginning in 2022, Drone Deployment logs will be uploaded monthly.
2021 West Sacramento Police Department Drone Deployments
2020 West Sacramento Police Department Drone Deployments