A drone, also referred to as an unmanned aerial vehicle or UAV, is an aircraft without a human pilot or operator on board. It can be flown autonomously or by remote control. Non-autonomous drones rely on a computer system or ground-based pilot to manage the controls.

LAPD has been using drones since 2018, when it started with 4 drones. As of August 2023, LAPD had the following in its arsenal:

The DJI M300 RTK drone. Source: DJI

The DJI M300 RTK drone. Source: DJI

The DJI Matrice 210. Source: The Drone Professor

The DJI Matrice 210. Source: The Drone Professor

The Parrot Ananfit drone. Source: Adorama

The Parrot Ananfit drone. Source: Adorama

Who Makes Drones? (Corporate Profiteers)

History of Drones at LAPD

Mission Creep and Expansion

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