City Seeks Community Input On Proposed Surveillance Technology for UAS

Published on January 30, 2025

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The City of Syracuse is seeking community input on proposed surveillance technology, a requirement of Mayor Walsh’s Executive Order No. 2. “Drones as a First Response Program” is being considered in order to reduce response times, improve the quality of life, and provide situational awareness for officers.

The proposed technology would give the Police Department “eyes on a scene” more quickly, assessing situations and providing vital information before officers arrive. The Department intends to deploy the uncrewed aerial system (UAS) in the Drone as a First Responder program only in response to a 911 call and incidents reported by officers in the field.  The types of calls eligible for UAS response include shots fired, search and rescue situations, burglaries, and high priority calls.

The Department does not intend to use the Drone as a First Responder program as a proactive tool, scanning the city for criminal activity. SPD believes the use of the drone will result in faster response times, a smarter user of resources and enhanced community safety.

The City’s Surveillance Technology Working Group, appointed by Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh, will accept public comments on the proposed technology for 14 days, beginning January 30 through February 13. To submit a comment, residents can visit https://goto.syr.gov/stwg202501.

Mayor Walsh signed the Surveillance Technology Executive Order in 2020, ensuring residents have input on proposed uses of surveillance technologies by the City of Syracuse. The Surveillance Technology Executive Order puts in place policies and procedures for oversight into how the City pays for such technology and ensures that surveillance tools are used in a safe and well-governed way.

The group is managed by the Office of Analytics, Performance and Innovation and is comprised of City of Syracuse staff, community advocates, and technology and ethics experts. Questions regarding the review of surveillance technology can be directed to https://www.syr.gov/surveillancetech.