Merced Police | Drones
Merced Police began a drone program in 2016 and accepted two more aircraft in 2017. A published AB 481 equipment document lists ten DJI aircraft.
At a glance
How it happened
- Deployment
Department reports implementing its drone program
The 2017 staff record says the department implemented the program in October 2016. [1]
- Expansion
Council accepts two donated aircraft
The Council accepts two DJI Phantom 4 Pro Plus aircraft and related FLIR equipment and adopts Resolution 2017-57. [1]
How the program developed
A November 2017 staff record says Merced Police implemented its drone program in October 2016. On November 6, 2017, the Council accepted two donated DJI Phantom 4 Pro Plus aircraft with FLIR equipment and adopted Resolution 2017-57.[1]
What the city lists
The city’s AB 481 equipment document lists four DJI Phantom 4 aircraft, one DJI Mavic Enterprise 2, four DJI Mavic Mini aircraft, and one DJI Avata. The initial prices shown range from $499 for a Mavic Mini to $7,874.05 for the Mavic Enterprise 2.[2]
The document refers to Policy 608 and Resolution 2017-57. It describes uses including search and rescue, disaster response, collision and crime-scene documentation, and tactical operations.[2]
The equipment document does not display a clear publication date, reconcile the current status of older aircraft, or provide annual mission totals. The inventory is therefore presented as the published list reviewed on August 19, 2026, not as a day-precise operational count.
Questions
- How many drones does Merced Police list?
- The reviewed equipment document lists ten DJI aircraft: four Phantom 4 units, one Mavic Enterprise 2, four Mavic Mini units, and one Avata. [2]
- When did the program start?
- A 2017 staff record says the department implemented it in October 2016. [1]
- Are all ten aircraft currently operating?
- The reviewed document does not give a clear publication date or state the operational status of each listed aircraft. [2]
What we do not know
- Which listed aircraft are currently operational and assigned?
- What do current annual reports say about uses, complaints, policy violations, and costs?
- What retention and sharing rules apply to imagery, telemetry, and exported evidence?
- Which agencies receive drone assistance or data?
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. Merced City Council drone donation and Resolution 2017-57, November 6, 2017 · Meeting record · · accessed · archived copy
- 2. Merced Police AB 481 equipment document, unmanned aircraft section · Primary document · accessed · archived copy
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