For Immediate Release
November 29, 2024
Cleveland Division of Police commits to grounding its drones
until approval of final policy governing use
Cleveland, Nov. 29, 2024 – After authorizing the use of a police drone to monitor a protest last weekend,
Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd has committed to representatives of the Community Police Commission
that the Cleveland Division of Police will ground its drones until a final policy is approved by the CPC and the U.S.
Department of Justice.
The police department used the drone after the Community Police Commission voted on November 20 to
approve a new General Police Order governing drone use by the Cleveland police; the city sent the policy to the
U.S. DOJ for review on November 21, according to the city.
News outlets reported that the Division deployed a drone at a November 24 protest at the residence of
Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne, even though the U.S. DOJ had yet to review the policy.
In justifying its use of the surveillance tool the Division cited language from an early CPC draft of the policy,
before changes were made and the full Commission approved it; this section of the policy would have allowed
use of drones to monitor protests but was removed before the CPC approved the final version last week.
“We are encouraged that Chief Todd has committed to stop using drones until the CPC, the Monitoring Team
and the Department of Justice have signed off on a final policy,” said Piet van Lier, chair of the CPC’s Police
Policy Committee. “Our goal is to protect the constitutional rights and the safety of Cleveland residents by
ensuring drones, and other surveillance technology, are used in ways that comply with rights spelled out in the
U.S. Constitution and all other relevant laws, restrictions and regulations,” van Lier added.
The language that would have allowed drone monitoring of large gatherings was removed based on concerns of
a surveillance technology expert who worked with the CPC to revise the drone policy submitted to the CPC by
the police; the expert’s concerns were reinforced by members of the public during comments at last week’s CPC
meeting.
The policy approved by the CPC on November 20 included language prohibiting drone use to conduct
surveillance of large gatherings or crowds unless “exigent circumstances” require such action.
Section 115-5 of the city of Cleveland’s Charter, approved by Cleveland voters in 2021, gives the CPC final
authority over police policy. Over the past year, the CPC has been working closely with the Division to review
and revise policies, drawing on the expertise of volunteers and community members. The CPC first received a
draft of the drone policy from the Division on October 10 this year.