Placer County Probation | Drones
Placer County Probation's military equipment policy lists one DJI Mavic 2 and says it may be used for "visually identifying transient camps and public relations/video content."
How it happened
- Context
Policy 516 written in response to AB 481
The policy "was written in response to Assembly Bill 481 and adheres to Government Code sections 7070-7075." Its equipment section lists one DJI Mavic 2. [1]
What the policy says
Placer County Probation Department’s Policy 516 “outlines the acquisition, descriptions, authority, funding, and use of specified safety equipment to be utilized by the Probation Department” and “was written in response to Assembly Bill 481 and adheres to Government Code sections 7070-7075.” Its equipment section reads “DJI Mavic 2: Quantity 1,” and states that the aircraft “may be utilized for, but not limited to, visually identifying transient camps and public relations/video content. Expected lifespan for the Mavid 2 is 5-7 years. Initial cost of the drone is $1059.63.”[1]
What it does not establish
The policy does not say when the aircraft was bought, how often it flies, or what happens after an encampment is identified. The department’s annual military equipment report was not in the records we fetched. The policy carries no adoption date in the text we fetched; the timeline places it after Assembly Bill 481 took effect on January 1, 2022, which the policy names as its reason.
Questions
- What does Probation use a drone for?
- The policy says the aircraft "may be utilized for, but not limited to, visually identifying transient camps and public relations/video content." How often it flies is not in any record we fetched. [1]
What we do not know
- Flight logs by purpose and the number of flights over encampments.
- The annual AB 481 report for the department.
- Who approved the purchase and when.
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 Placer County.
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Surveillance Self-Defense →Sources
- 1. Placer County Probation Department, Policy 516, Public Safety Equipment / Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Operations · Primary document · accessed · archived copy
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