Oakland County Sheriff's Office receives pushback over proposed drone pilot program
On Wednesday, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners will vote on a proposed nine-month pilot program that would allow drones to assist the Oakland County Sheriff's Office when responding to 911 calls.
"We've been doing DFR (drones as first responders) for almost five years and we've had great success," said Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard.
Bouchard says the use of drones as first responders during emergencies has been a game-changer.
"We've found kids that were lost, Alzheimer's patients. Our drones have captured a murder suspect," Bouchard said.
Bouchard says the equipment his team uses has been banned by the federal government, leading them in a search for a new company.
"A lot of the equipment that we've been using for five years, we can't use anymore. It's been banned by the federal government because its Chinese components, so that's why we have to look at American equipment," said Bouchard.
On Wednesday, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners will vote on "Project Prove It," a proposed nine-month pilot program between the Oakland County Sheriff's Office and the company Flock Safety.
"It's an attempt to look at their technology and look at their capabilities. We're not specifically wedded to this company; we just know we need to make a transition to the next kind of equipment and technology because ours is going to become obsolete," Bouchard stated.
Flock Safety has faced criticism in the community, with many people, including Waterford resident Raymond Sultz, who worries about privacy and security.
"I'm just concerned at where this will lead. The overreach, the safety of the data that will be collected," said Sultz.
"We understand the privacy concerns people talk about, but we've already addressed all those. You can go to our webpage right now and look at every DFR flight we've flown, where it went, how it came back, what the call was for," said Bouchard. "And the other thing that's important to know right in our policy, it says they (drones) go directly to the call, when the call is over, the camera comes up to the sky, and it flies back to the dock."
Though the sheriff says the drone program is secure, Sultz tells CBS News Detroit that he feels the use of Flock for public safety is a step in the wrong direction.
"I think the more people that learn about this, the more push-back they'll be and realize this is not really safe for the public. They really need to reconsider," Sultz said.
Oakland County Commissioners are expected to vote on the pilot program during Wednesday's meeting at 6 p.m.
