Local police departments are preparing to protect World Cup crowds from drone threats, but NBC 5 Investigates found some may still be limited in how they can respond. While some local departments have tools to detect drones, few have all of the equipment, training, and certification needed to take down a hostile drone, raising questions about potential gaps in protection.
Security experts told NBC 5 Investigates that federal law enforcement agencies have advanced tools and training to jam threatening drones, take control of them or even shoot them down.
But our investigation found that most local police departments don’t yet have those capabilities, including those expected to secure FIFA fan events far from AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 NewsEdward Ayala, NBC 5 News
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Protecting World Cup crowds in North Texas will also mean securing the skies.
Former Arlington Police Chief Theron Bowman said the risk of a drone attack in North Texas is real, based on what’s been seen in other parts of the world.
“It can present itself as a catastrophe here locally,” Bowman said. “The threat has to be addressed.”
While serving as the chief of the Arlington Police Department, Bowman spent years protecting AT&T Stadium during major events, including a Super Bowl. With the World Cup, Bowman said the security risk extends across the region to other sanctioned and unsanctioned events, including a fan festival for tens of thousands at Fair Park, FIFA’s international broadcast center in downtown Dallas, and team training sites in Frisco and Mansfield.
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 InvestigatesEdward Ayala, NBC 5 Investigates
Former Arlington Chief of Police Theron Bowman, left, talks with NBC 5 Senior Investigative Reporter Scott Friedman, right.
The number of sites raises questions for security experts about the tools local police will have to detect and defend against drones.
Jamey Jacob is the director of the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education (OAIRE) at Oklahoma State University, where he leads a counter-drone research program testing technology to detect and eliminate threats.
Jacob said he’d like to see local police have layered capabilities for securing sites from drone attacks. He added the federal government has the most sophisticated mitigation systems, including lasers and microwave weapons. But local police departments cannot jam or shoot down drones without federal authorization and training at an FBI counter-drone center in Alabama.
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 InvestigatesEdward Ayala, NBC 5 Investigates
Jamey Jacob, director of the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education, talks with NBC 5 Investigates.
Arlington Police told NBC 5 Investigates that one of its drone operators has attended that FBI training program, but the department said they “do not yet have the infrastructure in place to carry out mitigation operations independently.” Instead, Arlington Police said they will rely on state and federal partners to assist in responding to drone threats during the World Cup.
Arlington Police declined to speak to NBC 5 Investigates on camera but said that while the department can’t take down drones, it has drone-detection equipment deployed in the stadium district.
“The radio detection systems, those are relatively low cost, and those are things that we’re gonna see law enforcement essentially have on hand,” Jacob said. “But those only maybe get 95% of the potential threat.
Jacob said the detection equipment that many local police departments have can help officers locate what he calls careless or clueless drone operators who cause most of the security incidents near stadiums by straying into restricted airspace. Those operators are often still broadcasting a remote ID required by the FAA, allowing law enforcement to identify them.
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 InvestigatesEdward Ayala, NBC 5 Investigates
A drone is seen hovering near an intersection in North Texas.
But Jacob said those systems cannot detect bad actors flying “dark drones” that are not broadcasting an ID and that a drone set up to fly dark can even be flown by dead reckoning straight to a target, without anyone at the controls and without broadcasting an ID.
Jacob said dark drones can still be detected, however, with more sophisticated drone radar systems.
Dallas Police recently received a $10 million federal grant to buy counter-drone equipment. Dallas Chief of Police Daniel Comeaux said the investment will allow the department to “proactively address emerging threats.”
The Dallas City Council authorized police this week to purchase equipment for “drone detection, tracking, and mitigation capabilities.”
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 NewsEdward Ayala, NBC 5 News
Dallas Chief of Police Daniel Comeaux announces a \$10 million federal grant, part of which will be used to purchase counter-drone equipment.
But when NBC 5 Investigates asked Dallas Police whether the department has federal authorization and training to use those tools, the department said it has “applied,” but its agreement with the federal government is still “pending approval.” NBC 5 Investigates asked how many Dallas officers have completed FBI counter-drone training, and the department said it would not release that information because it could compromise operational security measures, but said more training is planned.
Security experts said the training and tools need to reach more departments fast, as the threat continues to grow.
“I’m actually still surprised that we haven’t seen a major attack on the U.S. yet, primarily just due to the ubiquity of the technology,” Jacob said.
Bowman said the threat environment is constantly changing. He added that he’s confident federal partners will help North Texas police departments fill gaps during World Cup events, but the scale of events planned across the region makes securing the skies more complex.
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 InvestigatesEdward Ayala, NBC 5 Investigates
Former Arlington Chief of Police Theron Bowman.
NBC 5 Investigates also contacted the Frisco Police Department, which will help protect the Swedish national team’s base camp at the FC Dallas Stadium. Frisco Police said they do not have their own counter-drone equipment or the capability to carry out mitigation operations independently, and that they would also be working with federal partners “to ensure we have access to the necessary technology if it becomes needed for FIFA.”
Mansfield is hosting Czechia’s team base camp. Police there told NBC 5 Investigates the department: “continues to work in coordination with federal and state agencies,” but would not provide any specifics on its counter-drone capabilities.
Edward Ayala, NBC 5 NewsEdward Ayala, NBC 5 News
Soccer stadiums in North Texas: Toyota Stadium in Frisco, top, and Texas Health Mansfield Stadium, in Mansfield, bottom.
NBC 5 Investigates asked the FBI how many Texas law enforcement agencies have received the federal training needed to take down drones, but they did not answer the question. In a statement, the bureau said it continues to operate its training center in Alabama, where local law enforcement agencies can obtain the federal certification they need.
The FBI told NBC 5 Investigates it will work to address drone concerns with police departments in all local cities hosting official World Cup events.