On Tuesday, Mayor London Breed, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, and Police Chief William Scott issued a joint statement about the use of drones in recent months. This is the first time that SFPD has used air support in 24 years.
Along with the statement, officials showed drone footage of two arrests. The first, on July 26th, was two people breaking into cars by smashing windows, otherwise known as "bipping," near the Embarcadero.
The second happened the day after, on the 27th. First, an officer reported seeing a group of suspects peeking into car windows, and driving a stolen car. In response, a drone was deployed that saw the crew apparently smashing car windows and stealing suitcases, which led to their arrest.
SFPD has deployed six drones already, and they plan to use more in the future. The San Francisco Chronicle obtained inventory records from the Police Department.
According to these records, SFPD might buy an additional 22 drones. When tallied up, this would cost about $324,000 to purchase, and an additional $148,000 per year for recurring costs.