New Orleans Police Draft Drone Manual Briefly Permits Armed Quadcopters

In June 2026 the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) posted an operations manual that said small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) could be equipped with weapons if the Superintendent of Police gave written approval. The document, dated June 21 2026, was later replaced on July 1 2026 with a version stating, “The sUAS shall not be equipped with weapons or hazardous materials of any kind.” The draft appeared online in June, vanished on June 30, and a third version appeared on July 1. The city council voted 4-3 on June 24 2026 to fund a $250,000 “drones as first responders” program in the French Quarter, purchasing a docking station for Skydio quadcopters. NOPD officials told the council the drones would not be armed or use facial-recognition software.

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NOPD has a history of pioneering camera-driven policing and has previously worked with the private firm Project New Orleans to provide live facial-recognition feeds, a partnership exposed in 2025. Federal Aviation Administration rules prohibit drones carrying “dangerous weapons,” a regulation written in 2018. Skydio, the U.S. manufacturer supplying the drones, previously pledged not to weaponize its platforms but its CEO Adam Bry later qualified that stance, saying the company does not dictate how customers use the technology.

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NOPD explained that the July 1 manual is the “current published version of the policy” and that earlier drafts were “presented for review before adoption of the current policy.” Captain Samuel Palumbo answered a council-room question on April 16 2026 that no drones in the French Quarter are armed. Skydio declined to comment when contacted.

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Matthew Guariglia, senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, warned that arming drones could make the use of force “consequence-free” and noted that many recent drone regulations have been relaxed or ignored. Kelsey Atherton, chief editor at the Center for International Policy, called weaponizing “unaccountable sky cameras” a misuse of public resources and a new threat in a city where gun violence is already declining.

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• “The manual published on July 1 is the current published version of the policy. Earlier versions were draft versions that were presented for review before adoption of the current policy,” — NOPD spokesperson

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• “It’s not our place to tell them what they can and can’t do,” — Adam Bry, CEO, Skydio

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• “Drones have always been a bit of a solution in need of a problem.” — Matthew Guariglia, Electronic Frontier Foundation

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• “Police have yet to demonstrate that they can responsibly handle the data collection and surveillance capabilities of drones. Choosing to arm already unaccountable sky cameras is a threat on top of a threat, a misuse of public resources, and risks introducing more unaccountable weapons into a city enjoying a decline in gun violence ,” — Kelsey Atherton, Center for International Policy

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