LA sheriff defies civilian commission’s vote to end drone program

By Brian Seay

Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell showed off the $10,000 drone back in January, when they first acquired the device. (Photo: Sarah Reingewirtz/Pasadena Star-News)
Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell is defiant, saying he won’t ground his department’s drone program even after a civilian oversight group voted last week to do just that.
In a 5-4 vote Thursday, the department’s Civilian Oversight Commission voted to end the drone program, which started back in January, over fears the Unmanned Aircraft System could be used to spy, or could one day be armed, according to the New York Daily News.
Per department policy, use of the $10,000 drone is limited to emergency, life- threatening situations, such as hostage rescue, bomb detection, active shooter and HazMat spills, according to a supplemental report drafted by the oversight board. McDonnell said his department’s use of the drone has been proper.
“We have used the (drone) judiciously, only five times since the program launched nine months ago,” he said. “These include two search-and-rescue missions for a missing five-year-old Pasadena boy, one search-and-rescue for a missing woman whose car was found in Malibu and two active shooter situations where the (drone) allowed for the safe search for additional victims.”
“In each

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