UAS Program Manager

The Annapolis Police Department (APD) is dedicated to preventing and reducing crime for the community it serves and preserving the quality of life in the city through fair and impartial law enforcement services. The men and women of the APD are highly qualified individuals whose core values are honor, respect, integrity, and service. The department strives to recruit, train, and equip an unrivaled and diverse workforce and works diligently to preserve and uphold democracy and the freedoms afforded to all by the Constitution through proactive problem solving and community policing.

The UAS Coordinator is responsible for the following: 

a. The administrative oversight of the UAS program.

b. Designating and approving police department personnel as UAS Pilots.

c. Maintaining a list of active UAS Pilots.

d. Accountability of UAS equipment.

e. Maintenance of UAS equipment.

f. Issuing UAS to approved UAS Pilots.

g. Maintaining relevant training, certification and equipment records. 

h. Ensuring public notice of UAS operations and deployments.

A. System Coordinator / Administrator

1. The Annapolis Police Department (APD) will appoint a program coordinator who will be  

responsible for the management of the UAS program. The  

program coordinator will ensure that policies and procedures  

conform to current laws, regulations and best practices.  

2. The UAS Program Manager, or other designated Annapolis Police Department personnel shall provide the Chief of Police, Police Advisory        

 Commission, and City Council with an annual report that covers all use of the UAS technology during the previous year.  

3. FAA Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) Certificate of Authorization (COA) given by the FAA which   

grants permission to fly within specific boundaries and perimeters. The UAS Coordinator will maintain current COA’s  consistent with FAA regulations.     

The UAS Program Manager, other designated APD personnel, shall coordinate the application  process and ensure that the COA is current.

4. Submission and evaluation of requests for UAS use 

The UAS Program Manager, or other designated APD personnel,  shall develop a uniform protocol for submission and evaluation  of requests to deploy a UAS, including urgent requests made   during ongoing or emerging incidents.

B. Facilitating law enforcement requests

The UAS Program Manager, or other designated APD personnel, shall facilitate law enforcement access to images and data captured by UAS as allowable by department policy.

C. Program improvements

The UAS Program Manager, or other designated APD personnel, shall recommend and accept program improvement suggestions, particularly  those involving safety and information security.

D. Maintenance

The UAS Program Manager, or other designated APD personnel, shall develop a UAS inspection, maintenance and record-keeping protocol to ensure continuing airworthiness of a UAS, and include this protocol in the UAS procedure manual. Maintenance and record-keeping should also include expenditures such as purchase of new equipment and mechanical repairs.  

E. Cost Analysis

The UAS Program Manager, or designated APD personnel, shall develop a protocol for developing and documenting data for a cost-benefit analysis.  This cost benefit analysis will include amount of UAS personal involved (operators and visual observers), UAS equipment utilized, suspect(s) located (e.g. gender, race and age) and the recovery of evidentiary items (e.g. firearms, clothing, vehicles, etc.).  

F. Training

Each operator/pilot must possess the required FAA Part 107 license to operate a UAS.  Prior to sitting for the FAA Part 107 exam it is highly recommended the candidate take the online preparatory class offered by Mzeroa.   After obtaining the FAA Part 107 each operator/pilot MUST successfully complete a basic operator’s course (BOC) obtaining the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) certification for the UAS platform.  The program manager can and will facilitate this training.  

The UAS Program Manager, or other designated APD personnel, shall ensure that all authorized operators and required observers have completed all required FAA and department-approved training in the operation, applicable laws, policies and procedures regarding use of the UAS.  Further, the UAS Program Manager will maintain all operators/pilots certifications and records of training.  

G. Auditing and Oversight

The UAS Program Manager, or other designated APD personnel, shall develop a protocol for documenting all UAS uses in accordance to this  policy with specific regards to safeguarding the privacy rights of the   community and include this in the UAS procedure manual and the annual  UAS report. The UAS supervisor will develop an electronic record of   time, location, equipment, purpose of deployment, and number of UAS  personal involved. Whenever a deployment occurs the operator will send   notification/submit (either electronically or hard copy) to the UAS  Supervisor to include the topics listed above. This protocol will allow the  UAS supervisor to have a running log of all deployments and assist in the  annual report.

H. Reporting

The UAS Program Manager, or other designated APD personnel, shall  monitor the adherence of personnel to the established procedures and  shall provide an annual report on the program to the Chief of Police.

The UAS Program Manager, or other designated APD personnel, shall provide the Chief of Police, and City Council with an annual report that contains a summary of authorized access and use.        

I. Inquiry and Complaint Process

Personnel or Procedures will inform all employees and  the public of procedures for accepting, processing and investigating  complaints concerning allegations of member employee misconduct.

J. Training

The UAS Program Manager, or other designated APD personnel, shall develop an operational procedure manual governing the deployment and operation of a UAS including, but not limited to, safety oversight, use of visual observers, establishment of lost link procedures and secure communication with air traffic control facilities.

K. Crashes  

The UAS program manager shall immediately notify the commanding official through the chain of command of any drone crashes.  Crashes involving damage to the drone or other department equipment require submission of an administrative report prior to the end of the shift. Crashes involving intentional acts of damage or destruction committed by non APD individuals require a records management system (RMS) report in addition to the administrative report. Crashes involving contact with any person, damage to private property, or where it appears negligence or misconduct may be involved require an RMS report, administrative report, and investigation. Pursuant 14 CFR 107.9 (Safety Event Reporting), the UAS program manager shall ensure the FAA is notified within 10 days of drone crashes resulting in serious bodily injury and/or damage to property (other than the drone) valuing over $500.

Bachelor's degree or higher in UAS related field.

Physical/Mental Demands:

The work is sedentary and generally the employee may be required to speak, walk, stand, bend, and/or carry light items to include paper, books or files.

Physical ability:  to sit continuously at a computer terminal or receptionist station for extended periods; ability to operate standard office equipment including copier, computer, fax machine, mailing machine, etc.; ability to reach into file drawers in standard four drawer filing cabinets.

Visual ability:  sufficient to effectively operate office equipment including copier, computer, etc.; to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, etc.; 

Hearing ability:  sufficient to hold conversation with other individuals both in person and over a telephone; ability to hear recording on transcription device.

Speaking ability:  sufficient to communicate effectively with other individuals in person and over a telephone.  

Freedom from health disorders which would interfere with performance of duties as described. 

Work Environment: