staff report<\/a>, the drones responded to 82 calls during those five weeks, arriving before deputies 91% of the time with an average response time of one minute and 32 seconds.<\/p>\nAbout 20% of the 82 calls were resolved without requiring deputy response, according to the report.<\/p>\n
Two residents publicly called on elected officials to have a more robust and thorough analysis and outreach to residents about the program before moving forward with it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Doug Makino, a resident and member of the city\u2019s public safety committee, called on sheriff deputies to show a causal relationship between use of drones and a reduction in crime and said the proposal should have come before his committee and fleshed out publicly overtime.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsider what it means to be routinely flying a drone across the city, equipped with high-resolution cameras and thermal imaging. How do you think the residents and guests of Stanton will feel knowing these are flying through our skies on a daily basis?\u201d Makino said at the July 14 meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cCouncil is proposing a paradigm shift in how policing is done in Stanton. Yet the staff report is a brief three-page summary that examines potential benefits while lacking interrogation of the possible risks, liabilities, and consequences for the city and its residents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stanton Debates Surveillance State<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2024_Vote_OC_Primaries_LEOPO-46.jpg\")
Orange County Sheriff on March 5, 2024. Credit: JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC<\/p>\n
Torres said surveillance and data collection has reached unprecedented heights with the use of automated license plate readers and security cameras.<\/p>\n
Now drones, he said, are raising even more concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve never had this data collection before on our residents. Although these services aid in local enforcement and officer safety, the manner in which this data is being accessed by outside agencies is deeply troubling,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Torres also called for more public discussions on the drones including hosting town halls to gather public input before moving forward with a significant shift in how the city is policed.<\/p>\n
Stanton City Manager Hannah Shin-Heydorn said the drone program is only intended to improve emergency response and situational awareness for officers and not intended to expand data sharing with other law enforcement agencies.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs with any technology, ongoing oversight, clearly established policies, and applicable law are the appropriate tools for ensuring responsible use. Staff believes the potential public safety, community safety, and officer safety benefits of this program warrant its consideration while continuing to manage these technologies transparently and responsibly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Shawver said the drones won\u2019t be flying around town 24\/7, but rather deployed to respond to certain incidents like burglaries.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt does not go and infringe on people\u2019s privacy. It doesn\u2019t impede or go and infringe on people\u2019s rights,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Councilman John Warren said residents are living in an age of technology and that many websites are already tracking people\u2019s data.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe live in a technology age. Everybody asks what happens with data privacy. I mean, go log onto YouTube right now,\u201d he said. \u201cHow many different advertisements and notices do we get these days that your information may be compromised?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not the government collecting that data, though, and we shouldn\u2019t be part of that problem,\u201d Torres responded.<\/p>\n
Shawver said the data collected will be safe, adding the benefits of the drones outweigh the concerns about data sharing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you\u2019re worried about ICE coming into the city,\u201d Shawver told Torres. \u201cAt least to my knowledge \u2013 maybe I\u2019m wrong \u2013 but this particular drone program has not ever turned or worked with any of the federal government.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cypress Latest to Buy Drones<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Cypress.jpg\")
The seal of the city of Cypress, Calif. sits inside the Cypress Community Center on Sept. 7, 2022. It represents the four characteristics of Cypress; education, business and industry, churches, and residences.<\/p>\n
Cypress officials voted unanimously Tuesday on the drones contract and accepted a $70,000 donation from the Cypress Police Foundation to offset the $138,000 cost.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe use of drones by law enforcement agencies has expanded significantly throughout California and the United States as the technology has matured and demonstrated substantial operational benefits,\u201d reads a Cypress Staff Report on the drone purchase.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, public safety drones are widely recognized as an effective tool for improving emergency response, enhancing officer safety, reducing public risk, and increasing operational efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n
Police Chief Mark Lauderback said the drones will be primarily used to patrol the city\u2019s business parks at night, when officers are chasing suspects and lose them.<\/p>\n
He added the drones can help to find missing people and monitor a couple of city events.<\/p>\n
Cypress isn\u2019t the only city that is purchasing drones this year.<\/p>\n
Santa Ana officials in February approved a roughly $683,000 three contract for drones to launch their own drone as a first responder program despite privacy concerns from some residents.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, Mayor Valerie Amezcua publicly said the Police Chief will be showcasing the drones on August 1 at the police department community to the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will be demonstrating our drone as a first responder program and the community will be able to see a live feed of our drones,\u201d Rodriguez said at the July 7 council meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust a demonstration of our capabilities and how it\u2019s a resource and it allows us to provide more efficient and effective policing services.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sara Leon contributed to the reporting in this article.<\/p>\n
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org.<\/p>\n
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