Gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds says he intends to limit the use of drones by Florida law enforcement.
The Republican Congressman posted on the topic after an article by The Wall Street Journal, titled “A police drone might be behind your next ticket,” covered the expanded use of drones by law enforcement nationwide over the objection of privacy rights groups.
“Not in my Florida!” Donalds wrote on X. “I oppose red light cameras, and as Governor, I’ll ground these drones.”
His campaign in a statement to Florida Politics clarified that Donalds would not stop all use of drones by police, but wants significant limits.
“Drones should not be used to issue tickets or create broad surveillance of Floridians. There are legitimate law enforcement purposes for drone technology, but they should not be used in a Big Brother-like manner,” the statement reads.
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, who endorsed Donalds in September, agrees.
“I agree with Congressman Donalds’ position,” Nocco said. “While there are many benefits from the use of drones for law enforcement, such as finding missing people and security around critical incidents, these drones should not be used for traffic enforcement, as Floridians have consistently rejected this red-light camera-like approach and instead they should be used for saving and protecting lives and property.”
That puts Donalds and Nocco on the same side regarding this issue as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst with the ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, told The Wall Street Journal that drones have use for some police activity, but should not be used to monitor people in their daily lives.
“There needs to be limits, lest drone surveillance becomes pervasive and changes what it’s like to be out in public in America,” Stanley said.
But as the Journal notes, many agencies are already using drones with regularity, including in Florida. The story spotlighted surveillance being done by Sunny Isles Beach to patrol beaches, and video accompanying the article online shows a drone hovering over Collins Avenue.
Donalds’ position already garnered pushback from political opponents who questioned why he hasn’t taken a more aggressive position as a lawmaker in Congress or the Legislature.
When Donalds initially posted, then deleted, that he “protected Florida from red light cameras,” GOP Primary opponent James Fishback replied: “Are you smoking crack? There are literally thousands of them across the state,” Fishback posted.
The Florida Supreme Court in 2018 ruled that red-light cameras do not violate the Florida Constitution. Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2024 signed a measure that puts transparency and reporting requirements on local governments employing the technology.
But legislation signed this year by the Governor, while imposing criminal penalties on individuals using drones to spy on people, still allows police the power to use drones for surveillance. The law specifically exempts any state agency or law enforcement entity using a drone in the “course and scope” of employment.
–Jacob Ogles, Florida Politics
Leave a Reply