Mariposa County Sheriff | Drones
The Sheriff's published equipment list names several DJI aircraft, including a thermal-camera model. Ordinance 1174 and Policy 606 govern the program, and the Board held annual public hearings in 2023 and 2024.
At a glance
- Published equipment list
- 1 Phantom 4 Pro+, 1 Mavic Pro Platinum, 2 DJI Air units, 1 Matrice 600, and a Matrice 30T entry with no stated quantity [1]
- Matrice 30T listed cost
- $21,132.94 [1]
- Published prohibitions
- random surveillance and weaponization [3]
- Data retention
- the established records retention schedule [3]
How it happened
- Decision
The Board adopts the Sheriff's military-equipment ordinance
The Board unanimously adopts Ordinance 1174 under Assembly Bill 481. The Sheriff says an update will return to the Board each year. The minutes record no public comment. [2]
- Decision
The Board accepts the 2023 annual report
After a public hearing, the Board unanimously accepts the Sheriff's annual military-equipment report. The minutes record no public comment. [4]
- Debate
One commenter speaks at the 2024 annual hearing
The Board unanimously accepts the 2024 annual report. One commenter opposes militarization while saying the Sheriff should have tools needed for the work. [5]
- Context
The county budget reports an upgraded aircraft with thermal imaging
The Sheriff's budget accomplishments include an upgraded unmanned aircraft with forward-looking infrared capability. The budget does not identify the model or price. [6]
- Context
The published manual states flight and data rules
Policy 606 sets privacy rules, requires trained operators, prohibits random surveillance and weaponization, and assigns retention to the established records schedule. [3]
How it was approved
The Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance 1174 on May 10, 2022. The ordinance approved the Sheriff’s military-equipment policy under Assembly Bill 481. The Sheriff told the Board that an update would return each year. The minutes record no public comment, and the vote was unanimous.[2]
The Board held a public hearing on May 2, 2023 and unanimously accepted that year’s report. The minutes record no public comment.[4] At the April 9, 2024 hearing, one commenter opposed militarization while saying the Sheriff should have the tools needed for the work. The Board again accepted the report unanimously.[5]
What the department asked for
The published equipment list names one Phantom 4 Pro+, one Mavic Pro Platinum, two DJI Air units, and one donated Matrice 600. It also lists a Matrice 30T with zoom, wide-angle, and thermal cameras, but the visible entry does not state a quantity. The listed price for that model is $21,132.94.[1]
The same list gives mission examples that include collision investigation, missing-person search, disaster management, crime-scene photography, public-safety operations, and fire response. It limits operation to assigned staff who completed required training.[1]
The fiscal year 2024-25 county budget reports an upgraded unmanned aircraft with thermal imaging. It does not identify the model, price, or whether it replaced an aircraft on the equipment list.[6]
What governs it
Policy 606 states that the program is subject to constitutional privacy rights and Federal Aviation Administration rules. It prohibits intentionally recording a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy unless there is a warrant or an urgent exception. It also prohibits random surveillance, targeting based only on protected characteristics, harassment, personal use, and weaponization.[3]
The policy requires the program coordinator to maintain mission documentation, establish public notification procedures, protect evidentiary data, and facilitate law-enforcement access. It says captured data is kept under the established records retention schedule, but does not state the period.[3]
The equipment list and the annual-hearing minutes available in the reviewed record do not reconcile which older aircraft remain operational or state the quantity of Matrice 30T units.[1][4][5]
Questions
- Does the Mariposa County Sheriff operate drones?
- Yes. The published equipment list names several DJI aircraft, and Policy 606 governs the office's unmanned aircraft operations. [1] [3]
- Which drones are listed?
- The list names one Phantom 4 Pro+, one Mavic Pro Platinum, two DJI Air units, one Matrice 600, and a Matrice 30T entry whose quantity is not stated. The operational status of each aircraft is not reconciled in the records reviewed. [1] [4] [5]
- Can the Sheriff use a drone for random surveillance?
- No. Policy 606 prohibits random surveillance and weaponization. [3]
- How long is drone footage kept?
- Policy 606 says data is retained under the established records retention schedule. The policy does not state the period, and the schedule was not among the records reviewed. [3]
What we do not know
- Which listed aircraft remain operational, and how many Matrice 30T units are in service?
- Where are the annual military-equipment reports after the 2024 hearing?
- How often are the aircraft flown, for which mission categories, and which agencies receive assistance?
- What retention schedule applies to imagery, and how are access, sharing, audit, and deletion handled?
- How does the office notify the public of deployments under Policy 606?
What you can do
Show up
Systems like this one are approved by boards, councils and committees that meet in public. We have not yet confirmed where each of them meets in Mariposa County.
What we have documented in Mariposa County →Protect yourself
Practical steps to shrink your personal data trail. Our guides publish at launch; until then, EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense is the best starting point.
Surveillance Self-Defense →Sources
- 1. Mariposa County Sheriff's Office AB 481 military-equipment list · Primary document · accessed · archived copy
- 2. Mariposa County Board of Supervisors minutes, May 10, 2022 (Ordinance 1174) · Meeting record · · accessed · archived copy
- 3. Mariposa County Sheriff's Office policy manual, September 17, 2025 (Policy 606) · Primary document · · accessed · archived copy
- 4. Mariposa County Board of Supervisors minutes, May 2, 2023 (annual military-equipment report) · Meeting record · · accessed · archived copy
- 5. Mariposa County Board of Supervisors minutes, April 9, 2024 (annual military-equipment report) · Meeting record · · accessed · archived copy
- 6. Mariposa County fiscal year 2024-25 recommended budget (Sheriff section) · Primary document · accessed · archived copy
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