OCEANSIDE — A new police-controlled drone program aimed at improving emergency response times will begin operating in downtown Oceanside following unanimous City Council approval on April 23.
Under the 13-month pilot program, a drone will be stationed on top of City Hall, ready to respond to service calls primarily west of Interstate 5. Depending on weather conditions, the drone’s range could extend east to Canyon Drive, Capistrano Drive, and parts of the Fire Mountain neighborhood.
According to police staff, the drone program will enable an immediate response to calls for service within approximately one minute of deployment.
The drone initiative will be paired with the launch of a new Real-Time Crime Center, a centralized facility where police officers will monitor crimes and incidents as they unfold, using a network of city cameras, dispatch and records systems, automatic license plate readers, criminal databases, mapping software, and drone footage.
The drone’s live feed will be streamed to the crime and dispatch centers and responding patrol units.
Together, the drone pilot program and crime center are intended to enhance efficiency, improve decision-making, and reduce response times to service calls. Police staff said the technology would also help de-escalate rapidly evolving situations, provide critical overhead views, and improve safety for both first responders and the community.
Police Chief Taurino Valdovino said the department’s current average response time is five minutes, but expects the drone program to cut that to just one minute.
Other jurisdictions with similar drone programs have found that drones can resolve up to 20% of calls without dispatching officers, said OPD Lt. Michael Provence.
Oceanside joins a growing list of California cities utilizing police drones, including Chula Vista, Irvine, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Burbank, and Beverly Hills.
While city leaders expressed support for the program, some community members raised concerns about privacy and transparency.
Max Disposti, chair of the Community Relations Commission, emphasized the need for clear guidelines governing the drone’s use.
“I can see this is the future of policing, but without policies and procedures, we could enter something that could harm our community rather than support it,” Disposti said.
Provence assured the council that only sworn officers certified as drone pilots would operate the drone, and a rooftop visual observer would monitor the airspace for safety.
Police officials also emphasized that the drone and crime center will not conduct random surveillance, operate outside established policies, divert resources from high-crime areas, or share information beyond law enforcement agencies.
Council members unanimously approved the pilot programs.
“I think it’s a great program,” said Councilmember Rick Robinson. “I think it will prove to be very effective.”
Mayor Esther Sanchez also praised the initiative and noted she was pleased the drone could reach the Eastside neighborhood where she lives.
“This is something I see to be very positive, and once you’re in the program, I’m sure you’ll be able to change some things to make it a better program,” Sanchez said.
Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce supported the program but expressed reservations about the broader trend of increasing surveillance.
“It sounds like a deliberate and appropriate use of the technology, so I’m going to support it, but in general I have concerns about our privacy slowly — or quickly — dying,” Joyce said.
Joyce also raised concerns about the program’s cost.
While the total cost of the drone and crime center pilot programs will be covered by a $264,816 state grant — including $33,355 for a new drone, $143,600 for a visual observer position, and additional software and supplies — the city will make a $406,247 one-time payment to the police general fund to cover overtime costs for one police officer and two community service officers working four 10-hour shifts per week.
