Truckee Police | Drones
Truckee Police's 2026-27 military equipment list records four DJI drones, three of them at or nearing end of life. The 2025-26 annual summary says drones were deployed for searches, collision mapping, and "as a situational awareness resource during community events."
How it happened
- Context
Annual summary dated 2026-02-02
The memo, dated February 2, 2026, describes usage "from March 2026, to March 2027," a period that postdates the memo; the reporting period it covers is not stated consistently. Drones "were deployed on several occasions during calls for service pertaining to missing persons, search and rescue operations," for collision scene mapping, and "as a situational awareness resource during community events." [2]
- Context
2026-27 equipment list
Four DJI aircraft listed as possessed, each "Outlined in TPD Policy 613," with FAA Part 107 training and supervisor oversight. [1]
What the list says
The March 2026-2027 equipment list records four drones as possessed: a DJI Mavic 3T, a DJI Phantom 4 “Nearing End of Life,” a DJI Inspire “End of Life,” and a DJI Matrice 210 “End of Life,” each governed by TPD Policy 613 with $500 a year in maintenance.[1]
What the summary says
The annual summary memo, dated February 2, 2026, says it covers “ME usage from March 2026, to March 2027,” a period that begins after the memo’s date; which year it reports is not stated consistently. It states that drones “were deployed on several occasions during calls for service pertaining to missing persons, search and rescue operations (Donner Lake drowning incident), as well as for traffic collision scene mapping,” and that they “were deployed as a situational awareness resource during community events to support public safety,” and for training and internal media.[2]
Questions
- What does Truckee Police use drones for?
- The annual summary lists missing-person and search-and-rescue calls, traffic collision scene mapping, situational awareness at community events, training, and internal media. [2]
- How many drones?
- Four, per the 2026-27 list; the Phantom 4, Inspire and Matrice 210 are marked nearing or at end of life. [1]
What we do not know
- Deployment counts by type and the replacement plan for the end-of-life aircraft.
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Surveillance Self-Defense →Sources
- 1. Truckee Police Department, Military Equipment List, March 2026-2027 · Primary document · accessed · archived copy · our copy (176 KB)
- 2.
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