A Massmail sent by the University of Illinois Police Department on Friday stated that the University will be utilizing drones in the Division of Public Safety to maximize safety on campus.
A new state law, the Illinois’ Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act (725 ILCS 167), allows for increased police drone usage, aiming to maximize safety measures at the University.
According to the Massmail, the drones could be used to counter high-risk attacks, locate missing people and victims or be used for crime scene and traffic crash photography.
Chief of Police and Executive Director of Public Safety Alice Cary stated the drones would more commonly be used to capture large events, such as football games, mobile security cameras and provide access to visuals otherwise not available on the ground.
For certain events, a notice about police drone usage could be posted at least 24 hours in advance to alert visitors. In those cases, the use is limited to specific tasks.
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Drone tasks include detecting security breaches, evaluating crowd density and identifying traffic or pedestrian flow.
The Massmail states that “State law expressly prohibits drones from being weaponized in any way.” It also says that because protests are also not considered special events, UIPD will not be able to monitor them.
The Division of Public Safety does not have specific plans to utilize drones in the general campus area, as its tasks must be according to specific allowable uses within the act.
