Drone Program

The North St. Paul City Council approved the Police Department's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) policy on November 15, 2022. UAVs, commonly referred to as drones, are used to assist law enforcement with public safety and emergency responses. The City of North St. Paul joins 78 other law enforcement agencies in Minnesota with UAV programs.

The City's use of the drones will be guided by Minnesota State Statute 626.19 which governs the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by law enforcement. The statute applies to all aspects of UAV use including data collection and retention, training, reporting requirements, and response to public safety emergencies.
 
Law enforcement agencies across the state have utilized UAV's because of the beneficial impact on public safety including the ability to gather information in response to real-time emergencies, missing persons, crime scene documentation, fugitive searches, assessing severe weather damage, community events, and traffic accident mapping.

Questions on the policy or the program can be directed to nspuav@northstpaul.org

Related Documents

View the UAV policy here
View the Police Chief's Council presentation here