LAPD oversight board approves $2.1M donation to expand drone program

The Los Angeles Police Department’s civilian oversight board has given the green light to a $2.1 million donation to expand the force’s fleet of aerial drones.

The department’s “Drone as First Responder” pilot — which sends drones to 911 calls before officers arrive — was bolstered by the $2.1 million gift from the LA Police Foundation.

The money approved by the Board of Police Commissioners would pay for additional drones, docking stations and installation costs at police facilities across the city. The Los Angeles City Council must still vote to formally accept the money before the LAPD can spend it.

In a report to the Police Commission, Assistant Chief Emada Tingirides wrote that the department plans to combine the private donation with a separate $1.8 million retail theft grant.

Together, the funds would finance a three-year contract with drone manufacturer Skydio Inc., covering equipment, warranty protection and service.

LAPF is a private, nonprofit that raises money from wealthy individuals and corporations to fund LAPD programs, equipment and initiatives that aren’t covered by the city budget.

Notable individuals who have donated to LAPF in years past include Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, Hyatt Hotels heir Tony Pritzker, movie mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg and sports executive Casey Wasserman, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The expansion comes as City Hall grapples with a projected $1 billion budget deficit and a prolonged fight over police funding.

The LAPD currently fields about 8,700 officers — roughly 3,300 short of what Chief Jim McDonnell says the city needs — even as Los Angeles prepares to host the FIFA World Cup this year and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

The department has been piloting its “Drone as First Responder” program since June, testing vendors, hardware platforms, staffing models and deployment sites.

Tingirides described the initiative as “highly successful” and said officials selected Skydio as the department’s preferred vendor.

The department has also identified docking station locations designed to extend aerial coverage across as much of Los Angeles’ 21 geographic divisions as airspace restrictions allow.

LAPD officials have proposed installing as many as 23 docking stations across eight divisions and several high-profile commercial areas, including The Grove and Palisades Village, allowing drones to launch automatically and stream live video from emergency scenes.

The move has drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates who argue the program expands police surveillance of ordinary residents.

The department has sought to counter that narrative by launching a public website that logs each drone deployment and displays flight paths.

At the same time, the Police Commission is weighing a separate proposal that could allow roughly 11.8 million body-worn camera videos to be deleted after five years — a sharp departure from the department’s longstanding practice of retaining footage indefinitely.

Commissioners have raised concerns about transparency and delayed action on the plan.

The Post has sought comment from Mayor Karen Bass, the Board of Police Commissioners, the LAPD, the LAPF and the city council.