FAQs
How will you be able to tell its a Savage Police drone?
Savage PD will be using the DJI Matrice 4T and the DJI Avata 2. Both drones will be clearly marked with a Savage Police emblem and flown only by trained and FAA-licensed Savage PD officers. Every flight is documented in our report system and flight log, so there is always a clear record of when and where we were operating.
These drones are relatively small aircraft, and because they can fly at higher altitudes with a maximum of about four hundred feet, they can look very similar to civilian drones from the ground. That can make it hard for someone to visually tell them apart. What really sets police drone operations apart is how we operate. Officers must always be in the area and must maintain a direct line of sight with the drone, either themselves or with a visual observer.
If a police drone is in the air, a resident will typically see several officers in the area actively working on an incident. Because we cannot fly the drone remotely from afar and must remain on scene, the combination of on-site personnel, required documentation, and the marked drone itself makes it clear that the drone belongs to Savage PD.
Who decides when and how the drone is used?
In Savage, the on-duty Sergeant makes the decision. They review the situation, check whether it complies with state law, and determine whether a drone is appropriate.
If another agency requests drone assistance, the on-duty Sergeant decides based on our staffing and the nature of the request.
State law only allows drones to be used in certain situations, such as emergencies, missing persons, specific criminal activity, crashes, disaster response, or training.
You can review the State Statute 626.19 related to the Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for more information: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/626.19
What if someone reports a group of six suspicious teenagers hanging around the neighborhood? neighborhood?
We can't launch a drone just because someone looks suspicious. Minnesota law (626.19) requires us to have reasonable suspicion of actual criminal activity before we can use a drone in a public area. A general concern or vague complaint about behavior doesn't meet that standard.
How often have you requested drones from other departments?
A review of 30 major calls from September to October 2025 showed that outside agencies provided drones for six incidents. In 17 of the 30 reviewed calls, a drone could have been legally deployed under the statute, but it was not available in time to assist.
Over the past year, neighboring agencies have expanded their drone programs, allowing Savage Police to request assistance several times a week on calls that qualify under Minnesota Statute 626.19. With more than 30,000 calls for service this year, drones have become an important tool for law enforcement.
However, relying on other departments often results in delays of 45 to 60 minutes before their drone teams arrive. This limits how effective a drone can be, especially in emergencies where rapid deployment is anticipated under the statute. This delay is a major reason Savage PD is proposing its own drone program.
Will there be an annual report for the community?
Yes. Minnesota law requires any agency that uses drones to submit an annual report. Under Minnesota Statute 626.19, we must report to the Commissioner of Public Safety by January 15 each year. The report includes how many times a drone was used without a search warrant, the date of each flight, the legal reason it was allowed, and the total cost of the program.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension then reviews these reports from every agency and publishes a statewide summary by June 15. The statewide report shows how often drones were used, why they were used, and the annual cost for each department.
You can view past Minnesota drone reports here:
https://dps.mn.gov/uav-uav-annual-reports
In addition to the yearly report, every individual flight must be documented. Officers complete a short summary in the report system, and a flight log entry must be submitted within 24 hours. These records ensure accuracy and transparency in the information reported to the public each year.