Adopted at the 122nd Annual Conference
Chicago, Illinois
October 2015

Requesting the Continued Support of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to Facilitate the Integration of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems into Law Enforcement Operations

Submitted by: Aviation Committee
AV.012.t15

WHEREAS, small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) have proven to be highly effective for law enforcement as a force multiplier, for search and rescue, crime and accident scene documentation, tactical and situational awareness, and support of fire and other public safety operations, and

WHEREAS, the IACP respects the rights of individuals and the U.S. Constitution, and

WHEREAS, agencies employing sUAS should engage the community to provide transparency and open the lines of communication on the use of the technology, and

WHEREAS, Section 333 of the FAA Authorization and Reform Act mandates that the FAA approve the use of sUAS by public safety agencies under the same conditions presently being approved for commercial operators, and

WHEREAS, the IACP has developed Guidelines and a Model Policy to provide guidance to agencies deploying sUAS, and

WHEREAS, the Federal Aviation Administration has recently engaged in efforts to facilitate the use of sUAS by commercial service providers in the National Airspace System (NAS) as mandated by the FAA Authorization and Reform Act of 2012, Section 333, and now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police requests the FAA to engage the Association and its partners, including the National Sheriffs' Association and Airborne Law Enforcement Association, to review the current approval process for public safety agencies and to develop a streamlined process consistent with Section 333 approvals available to commercial users.