Community Engagement Strategies for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Law Enforcement Unmanned Aircraft System Programs

By The Police Executive Research Forum

  Engaging the community is a key step in the planning and preparation phase of building a drone program. Once you determine your agency’s needs and decide that a drone program is right for your agency, it is important to develop a comprehensive outreach strategy. Community engagement should occur very early in the process—even before your agency purchases a drone and related equipment. This early engagement will help build community support for the program and prevent misunderstandings about how and when your agency intends to use its drones. A comprehensive outreach strategy should • solicit input from a wide range of community voices; • explain the police department’s planned approach and specific reasons for using drones (i.e., the missions in which you intend to use drones); • provide detailed assurances about privacy, accountability, and other issues of concern; • ensure that questions and concerns are adequately addressed. To accomplish these objectives, the method of engagement and the specific content to include are addressed'  

Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum, 2022. 44p.