# California Cities Expand Police Drone Programs

California municipalities are expanding police drone deployments while public hearings, privacy litigation, and legal uncertainty increase scrutiny of these procurements. Reported November 3, 2026, Santa Ana approved a $682,900 Drone as First Responder initiative with Skydio, and Stockton approved a $3.15 million expansion with Flock Safety that integrates six drones into its license plate reader camera network. For procurement teams and suppliers, the deals highlight the need to address privacy protections and demonstrate operational value alongside technical capability.

- Solicitations and contract reviews may scrutinize deployment limits, warrant or consent practices, data retention, and transparency; suppliers should be prepared to explain how their offerings support agency policies in these areas.
- **Why this matters:** Public hearings and litigation can create compliance, reputational, and implementation risks for agencies and contractors, especially where drone systems connect with existing surveillance networks.
- Agencies and bidders should be ready to substantiate public-safety benefits and clarify how collected data is handled, as those issues are central to public scrutiny of the programs.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Public Safety, Information Technology
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** November 03, 2026

### Government Entities
- City of Santa Ana
- City of Stockton
- San Francisco Police Department (SFPD)
- Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)

### Vendors
- Skydio (Drone manufacturer and supplier to police departments)
- Flock Safety (Supplier under Stockton’s contract expansion)

### Key Quotes
> SFPD should tie deployments to specific incidents that cannot be addressed without compromising officer safety — period.
> — Jesus Gabriel Yanez, recently retired police commissioner

> Public safety and personal privacy shouldn’t be competing interests.
> — Anna Kearney, president of Stop Crime SF

### Sources
- [Californians revolt against police drones after rapid adoption across state - Lassen News](https://www.lassennews.com/californians-revolt-against-police-drones-after-rapid-adoption-across-state) - Lassen County News