The Columbus Division of Police is now one of several central Ohio law enforcement agencies to have a drone program.
The police division announced Nov. 18 that they are launching Rapid Visual Enforcement Network (RAVEN), a pilot program designed to add unmanned aircraft systems – also known as drones – into frontline police operations, according to a news release.
The program will have 14 drone pilots who are certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, Columbus police said. The 14 drone pilots completed a two-week course that covers policy, legal considerations, and scenario-based exercises.
The drones will be used in a wide range of scenarios, including reports of in-progress crimes like burglaries, tracking crime suspects, missing persons searches, to monitor large events, and crime scene reconstruction, according to Columbus police.
Several law enforcement agencies in central Ohio have added drones to their arsenal, including the Dublin Police Department, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Gahanna Police Department, and the Reynoldsburg Police Department.
The Columbus Division of Fire and the Westerville Division of Fire also have at least one drone to provide an aerial view of fires and other emergencies and infrared to see where fires might be hidden in walls or roofs.
Nearly 1,400 law enforcement agencies across the country have pivoted to using drones to help with police duties, representing about 8% of the nearly 17,500 agencies across the country.
But while law enforcement agencies and first responders increasingly add drones to their ranks, civil liberties advocates warn that drones and other surveillance technology used by police are open to abuse and potential First and Fourth Amendment violations as they relate to freedom of assembly and police searches.
In their media release, Columbus police said drones would be used “in a manner consistent with the Fourth Amendment and all applicable case law.”
“Pilots are strictly prohibited from using drones in any way that would violate a reasonable expectation of privacy,” Columbus police said. “Every deployment decision will be guided by policy and law.”
Columbus police said the pilot program will help the division evaluate the effectiveness of dronetechnology to decide whether an expansion of the program is warranted.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police launch RAVEN drone program, say it will not violate privacy laws
Reporting by Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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