On Wednesday, the Oakland Police Department pitched drones to a small community audience as a way to address what it described as staffing shortages and budget constraints.
At OPD’s annual Military Equipment Use town hall meeting police officials presented the 2025 Military Equipment Use Report. It detailed how military equipment, including drones, was used over the past year, what it cost, and how the department plans to use it in the future.
The department's Military Equipment Use Report is mandated by state Assembly Bill 481, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2021. A community engagement meeting is also required by the same state law.
Department officials reported zero Internal Affairs Bureau and California Public Records Act complaints surrounding Oakland police's deployment of military equipment. They also noted a decrease from last year in the total number of times military equipment was deployed.
However, the report did note an increase in the department's deployment of drones in the past year. In 2025, the department reported deploying drones on 170 occasions, compared to 145 times in 2024.
The increase in drone usage reflects the Oakland Police Department's expansion of its Unmanned Aircraft System in recent years, which has allowed the department to use drones to support department investigations and gain an aerial view on hazardous situations
Police officials said they want to expand the OPD’s drone usage to a Drone First Responder program, that would dispatch drones to emergency calls before police officers.
