Public Hearing on SPD Drone Policy (Policy 606) – Syracuse, NY – September 15, 2025
Public Hearing on SPD Drone Policy (Policy 606) – Syracuse, NY – September 15, 2025
A public hearing was held on September 15, 2025, regarding a proposed agreement with an acting corporation to provide police department drone services, specifically the Syracuse Police Department's Policy 606 on the use of drones. Multiple community members spoke in opposition to the program, citing concerns about privacy, data security, lack of oversight, and the militarization of policing. No council discussion or votes took place during the hearing.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Barry Goodwanter (232 Riders, Zip 13207) reviewed the proposed policy and existing 2020 procedure document, noting that the procedure document has not been updated and only allows for line-of-sight drone operation. He argued the program is not ready for approval and urged delay until a new procedure document is drafted. He also expressed concern that the program's name implies drones may substitute for officer response and that SPD command desires to use drones for all calls, including low-priority ones.
- Lee Cridlin (1204 North Glen Cove Road, Syracuse; Syracuse Peace Council) stated the organization has worked on drone issues since 2009. He noted that drone use was initially limited to high-priority calls but was extended in April 2025 to all calls, and in July 2025, regulations were updated to remove language protecting residents from backyard surveillance. He called for more public input and clear policies, stating that public feedback has been largely negative.
- Aaron Burnside (50 Presidential Plaza, Syracuse; graduate student and lifelong resident) opposed the program as militarizing the community with military-grade drones and lacking oversight. He raised concerns about data vulnerability, noting that SPD's Flock camera program inadvertently shared data with thousands of police departments, including 2,000 immigration-related searches. He questioned whether Axon's contract allows data sharing, and warned that drones could film large areas without residents' knowledge. He also argued that legal precedent for drone footage is unsettled and that drones can be hacked, risking data exposure. He urged spending on social programs instead of surveillance technology.
- An unnamed speaker (referenced Counselor Majok) noted that 67% of public feedback (or 72% by sentiment) opposed the program. He highlighted risks in Axon's contract language allowing data sharing with government authorities, including potential sharing with ICE, and cited SPD's poor data stewardship record (e.g., Flock camera program). He also stated that Syracuse's crime rates are declining 27% year-to-year and that SPD staffing is higher than the national average for similar-sized cities, questioning the need for drones.
- Aaron Burnside (additional remarks) added that national legal precedence on drone video admissibility is lacking, and that data could be used against community members decades later. He also raised the risk of drones being hacked, citing examples from conflict zones, and argued that addressing underlying social issues like poverty and education would reduce crime more effectively than surveillance technology.
Key Outcomes
- No decisions or votes were made at the hearing. The public comment period was closed after the speakers. The council may consider the comments before taking further action on the drone policy.
Meeting Transcript
It's public hearing related to an agreement with acting corporation to provide police department. All righty. So what we're gonna do is if there's anyone for housekeeping that would like to speak, there's yellow cards in the back. Fill out one, please, and turn it and we'll turn it in. And restrooms, if you're looking for a restroom, they're in the back of the building. And when you come up, you'll have two minutes to speak. Please state your name, your address, so that the we have a technology here. And please speak loud enough that she can understand what you're saying. All right. Our first speaker. Barry. You want to say anything for this? Hi, Barry Goodwanter, 232 Riders, Zip Code 13207. I no longer live on Bellevue. Um the renewed policy. Um, sorry, I reviewed the policy that is proposed, uh, which is SPD policy 606, but I also reviewed the policy that existed from 2020, and also the procedure document number 602 from 2020. There has not been any update of that procedure document to date, only the policy document. However, the two documents need to be read together. And right now, procedure document 602, unless it's been updated in the last day, only allows for authorization of line of sight operation of drones. And the documents section does not require any indication of whether it was remote or a line of sight operation. For this reason and others, this program is not ready for approval, and I urge you to delay consideration until a new procedure document is drafted. Several other concerns are addressed. The name of this program in police circles is unfortunate because it gives the impression that drones may be used as a substitute for officer response. Reported statements of SPD command also indicate that there's a desire to use drones for all types of calls, including lower priority calls with no in-process incident or apparent threat of danger. That's not acceptable to me. In my opinion, remotely operated drones could be used for the management of in-process incidents, assessment of on-scity issues for both officers and for the public for active investigations. I there's like two or three speakers. I'd love to be able to see it. But if you have it written, you can give it to the clerk and she'll enter in the okay. Not that many people here. Can you hear me? My name is Lee Cridlin, and I live at 12. I just recently moved, 1204 North Glen Cove Road in Syracuse. Good evening. My name is Lee Cridlin, and I'm part of the Syracuse Peace Council. We were founded in 1936 and are an anti-war and social justice organization. We have been working with other organizations on the issue of drone usage, in particular military usage since 2009. In 2013, we petitioned the Syracuse Common Council to pass a resolution defending civil liberties and declaring that domestic use of drones would not be improved until regulations were developed to protect citizens' rights. Initially, they were to be used first as first responders to assist in high priority calls. Then in April of this year, the Syracuse Police Department extended use to any and all calls. Once again, in July, the department updated regulations and removed language that would have protected Syracuse residents from drone surveillance in their backyards. Unrestricted use of drones by the police is not acceptable. Additionally, there is no way to protect our rights to public protest. There need to be safeguards in place that will prohibit the use of drones in surveillance of demonstrations and other public gatherings. Surveillance of private citizens is a violation of our Fourth Amendment rights and marks a disturbing trend. The Syracuse Peace Council calls for the following. More time for public input into the use of drones by the SPD. Public input on the issue to date has been largely negative, and it is not clear that either the police department or the common council have been listening. And clear policies on the usage of drones need to be developed. Thank you for your time.
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