New legislation is headed to the Governor’s desk thanks to Aurora legislators and law enforcers who led and cleared the way for House Bill 3902, which will allow police to use more drones for public safety.
Aurora legislators senator Linda Holmes and representative Barbara Hernandez are chief sponsors of the ‘Drones as First Responders’ bill that will fundamentally change the decade-old drone law that severely limited the usage of drones for law enforcement activities.
Police throughout the State will be able to proactively use drones to monitor large special events, such as parades and festivals, and to surveil and secure scenes during an emergency.
Following the mass shooting in the City of Aurora in 2019, the Aurora Police Department’s drone team carefully reviewed how other states use drones to support law enforcement operations.
While APD used drones for several purposes, at the time of the Pratt shooting, State law didn’t allow using drones to identify public safety threats while addressing privacy, surveillance, and data concerns.
In 2021, members of the Aurora Police Drone Team approached Mayor Richard Irvin about proposing changes to the State law to make drones more available to law enforcement to support preventative and proactive responses.
Working with area police departments, the Illinois Chiefs of Police, the State’s attorney offices, the ACLU, and others focused on privacy issues, senator Holmes filed a bill in 2022.
“This measure gives police and other first responders critical information in a chaotic situation where lives are at stake,” said Holmes. “This capability could spare another community the suffering and trauma we experienced here.”
Last week, Aurora Police officials joined Holmes, Hernandez, and other bill supporters in Springfield to emphasize the critical importance of updating the legislation.
“We have found that the current limitations on the use of drones have prevented us from using drones to their fullest extent and from keeping communities as safe as we can,” said Aurora Police Lieutenant Andrew Wolcott, a licensed drone pilot, drone trainer, and special events lead. “Events across our country have been subject to mass shootings as seen within our State, vehicle attacks, and hundreds of people being trampled or killed due to overcrowding. Using drones can give a real-time picture of what is happening at an event and bring attention to pedestrian flow traffic issues, allowing law enforcement to respond in a proactive rather than reactive manner.”
The bill’s passage will allow drone usage to cover larger crowds and provide additional public safety mechanisms against those trying to harm multiple people. Beyond events, officers will also utilize drones en route to calls by providing real-time information.
“I’m happy to know that future community events will be safer for children, families, and everyone in attendance,” said Representative Barbara Hernandez, who helped to secure bi-partisan support for HB 3902. “The Illinois legislature worked together across the aisle to protect our residents across Illinois. We all deserve to feel safe as we enjoy events and go about our daily lives.”
Addressing drone surveillance and privacy concerns, House Bill 3902 sets specific limits on where and how drones can be used, restricts photography, prohibits facial recognition or onboard weapons, and adds reporting and retention constraints. In addition, only events held in public outdoor spaces owned by the state, county, or municipality can be covered.
House Bill 3902 passed the House with an 84-7 vote and the Senate with a 56-1 vote. The Governor is expected to sign the bill in time for large events this Summer.
—City of Aurora government