Los Banos Police | Drones
Los Banos Police listed seven drones and more than 100 missions in its 2023-24 AB 481 report. The report recorded no complaints, force applications, or policy violations.
How it happened
- Decision
Council adopts the military-equipment ordinance
The annual report states that the Council adopted the governing ordinance on May 18, 2022. [1]
- Context
Annual report records more than 100 missions
The report lists seven aircraft and more than 100 missions during the reporting period. It records no complaints, force applications, or policy violations. [1]
What the annual report lists
The 2024 AB 481 annual report lists seven aircraft: one DJI Matrice 30 Thermal, one DJI Phantom 4, one DJI Phantom 3, three DJI Mavic Mini units, and one DJI Avata 2. Listed acquisition costs range from $420 for each Mavic Mini to $16,898.83 for the Matrice 30 Thermal.[1]
The report covers May 18, 2023 through May 17, 2024 and records more than 100 missions. It does not divide those missions by purpose. It estimates about $1,000 in annual maintenance for the fleet.[1]
What the department reported about compliance
The report records zero complaints, zero force applications, and zero policy violations during the period. Those are the department’s annual-report findings, not an independent audit.[1]
The same report says the Council adopted its military-equipment ordinance on May 18, 2022. It does not state the current operational status of every aircraft or provide the later annual reports needed for a current mission total.[1]
Questions
- How many drones does Los Banos Police list?
- The report lists seven: one Matrice 30 Thermal, one Phantom 4, one Phantom 3, three Mavic Mini units, and one Avata 2. [1]
- How often were they used?
- The department reports more than 100 missions from May 18, 2023 through May 17, 2024. [1]
- Were complaints or policy violations reported?
- The report records zero complaints, zero force applications, and zero policy violations. [1]
- What did the listed aircraft cost?
- Listed acquisition costs range from $420 for each Mavic Mini to $16,898.83 for the Matrice 30 Thermal. The report estimates about $1,000 in annual maintenance for the fleet. [1]
What we do not know
- Which aircraft remain operational after the 2023-24 reporting period?
- What mission categories account for the reported uses?
- What retention, access, sharing, and deletion rules apply to imagery and telemetry?
- Where are the later annual reports and hearing records?
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 Merced County.
What we have documented in Merced 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. Los Banos Police Department 2024 AB 481 annual report · Primary document · accessed · archived copy · our copy (357 KB)
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