St. Louis police board approves drone first responder rules 4-1, and the first 911 flight goes out the same day

The St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners voted 4-1 on Wednesday, November 4. It approved special orders for the police department's new Aerial Response Unit, the department said. KSDK reported that Mayor Cara Spencer cast the only no vote. KSDK said she told the board the plan had not faced public feedback and was not "vote ready." She said she had seen the final plan for just 48 hours. KSDK reported that the department said it took questions at community meetings. Those questions were not specific to the proposal approved Wednesday, KSDK said.

The order is less specific than the department's public FAQ, as read November 4, on two points. The FAQ says the camera faces "forward, toward the horizon" on the way to a call and "only tilts down once it arrives on scene." The order sets no camera angle. It says that during transit, sensors and cameras "will be used primarily for safety of flight and navigation." It also says personnel "will avoid unnecessary observation of persons, homes, yards, or activities unrelated to the incident." The FAQ says retention policies "will be finalized before the DFR program launches." The order says video "will follow the Department video recording record retention policy" and names no number of days. It also says the department "may automatically publish flights" online after 72 hours unless a flight is exempt from disclosure.