How Buffalo Grove police use their aerial fleet

The Buffalo Grove Police Department is diving deeper into technology-based enforcement by expanding its arsenal of drones.

The village is adding two drones to its fleet, using a $15,000 grant from the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The police department currently operates one drone.

Buffalo Grove Police Chief Brian Budds said the drone has been a tremendous asset to the village. It deploys its existing drone for special events — including the Buffalo Grove Pride parade and Buffalo Grove Days Parade — as well as critical incidents.

The department’s 2025 annual report showed the drone accumulated 70 hours of flight time, broken down into 15 community events, 8 calls for service and 11 training sessions.

Deployments responded to a range of calls, including felony traffic stops, community safety initiatives and searches for missing children and adults.

Recently, the department launched the drone following a violent domestic incident at an extended stay hotel to help search for a fleeing suspect, Budds said.

The department also expanded its drone staffing in 2025, adding four new members to bring the total number of certified remote pilot operators to six.

The newer drones are also becoming more versatile from a size standpoint.

“We might be able to get into a building or a large structure if we have to look for a suspect or in a critical incident where somebody dangerous is in the area,” he said.

Budds stressed the requirement for accountability in their use.

“We're very strict on what we can use those for, and that's how the law is as well,” Budds said.

Every flight must be documented, and records are submitted to the state, he added.

A 2025 report to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority found that 195 of 427 responding agencies own drones, logging 7,859 flights during the reporting period.

The most common use was overseeing public events, accounting for more than 1,900 flights. Crime scene and accident photography came in second with about 1,200 flights, followed by more than 1,000 actions taken to prevent harm and search-and-rescue operations.