The Wright State University Police Department is working with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) to devise a comprehensive policy regarding the usage of drones on campus. The policy is still in draft form, and has not been officially released to the public.
“Our policy has to jive with the Air Force Base’s policy,” Chief of Police David A. Finnie said. Some rules in the drone policy have yet to be defined, according to Finnie.
It is believed drones may be limited to an altitude of 400 feet, but this has not been confirmed. WPAFB will determine whether the rules and regulations of the police department’s draft policy are sufficient to ensure safe usage of unmanned aircraft.
The policy may allow law enforcement to use drones as a tool for their investigations.
Drones with video footage capabilities could assist police with locating missing persons, analyzing crime scenes and surveying an area. However, “drones would not be used to interfere with the operations of the institution or violate privacy to the community,” Finnie said.
The specifics of the policy remain unclear. The police department will continue to work with WPAFB to devise a set of regulations to ensure safety for the community.
