'Another set of eyes': Why you'll see police drones at July Fourth celebrations

Police will make greater use of drones this Fourth of July to keep an eye on crowds gathered for parades and fireworks shows.

Suburban departments are taking advantage of a new state law allowing police to monitor parades, food festivals, concerts and other government-hosted outdoor events with camera-equipped drones.

The bill was spurred by the mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park nearly one year ago. A gunman armed with a high-powered rifle fired into the parade crowd from a downtown rooftop, killing seven people and injuring dozens more in less than a minute.

"Certainly it's not lost on anyone the need to have another set of eyes should danger erupt, whether that be from a natural occurrence or from a person that has bad intentions and evil intentions to try and do harm," Vernon Hills Police Chief Patrick Kreis said.

Law enforcement agencies can now fly drones during and in advance of certain special events to determine staging areas and traffic routes. From a planning standpoint, drones will give police a "bird's eye view" of where there might be vulnerabilities on the ground, Kreis said.

Police, for instance, could spot a rooftop hatch that has been opened before an event starts.

"Many communities now will be deploying these devices to make sure that should someone try and conceal themselves in an elevated position, it's going to be a lot harder for them to do it," Kreis said.

In Lombard, police plan to operate one drone before the village's fireworks display on Tuesday night at Madison Meadow Park. The department has two drones with thermal-imaging cameras and a dozen officers certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to pilot them.

Police can hover the drone above crowd fencing to check for security breaches and ensure that spectators stay out of the fireworks launching area as dusk settles over the park.

"You can see whether or not that's happening with one look, rather than trying to have police officers driving around the permitter of that cordoned-off area all the time to make sure no one's coming in," Lombard Deputy Police Chief Joe Grage said.

Under the decade-old Illinois Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act, police have sent drones into the skies to investigate traffic crashes from above. Suburban lawmakers pushed to update the law to broaden the circumstances in which police can deploy their drone fleet. But there are still limits.

Ground rules

The bill signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker this month prohibits law enforcement from using drones to monitor any political protest, march or demonstration. Those protections were added after privacy advocates sounded alarms about widespread drone surveillance.

"Our overarching concern is that police shouldn't be able to use drones to surveil in a way that intrudes upon our First Amendment rights or our privacy," said Liza Roberson-Young, senior supervising policy counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois.

The ACLU opposed earlier versions of the legislation, but it took a neutral stance on the measure that ended up passing after the organization negotiated provisions of the bill.

"The new legislation has some key transparency and accountability tools that weren't in the law before," Roberson-Young said.

If a law enforcement agency is habitually using drones in ways that are not authorized by the law, the Illinois Attorney General has the authority to initiate an investigation and file a civil suit to stop the violations.

Without exception, police are barred from weaponizing drones. Police also can't use any drone-gathered information with facial recognition software unless the agency is flying a drone to counter a credible risk of a terrorist attack or to prevent imminent harm to life, among other exceptions.

Police also have to post a notice at the event location at least a day in advance to communicate that they may be flying drones for "real-time monitoring" of public safety.

"It was really important to us that people can make informed decisions about whether they want to be in areas that are subject to drone surveillance," Roberson-Young said.

On social media and in news releases, Batavia and Lombard officials have given a heads-up about police drone flights on the Fourth.

"We are building the public's trust that we're going to use them appropriately," Grage said.

Kreis, the Vernon Hills chief, as well as Lemont Police Chief Marc Maton and Aurora police Lt. Andy Wolcott led a virtual training session hosted by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police this week to teach officers about reporting requirements and the rules of the sky.

"I can tell you, in regards to Vernon Hills, I've received nothing but positive feedback about measures that we take to further enhance security since July Fourth last year when Highland Park was victimized so horribly," Kreis said.

The Vernon Hills village newsletter also noted that residents may notice drones, officers at elevated positions, or bag checks during Fourth of July celebrations.

"It's going to help people feel more comfortable," Kreis said, "that this is just one more tool that further enhances their safety so they can get on with the business of enjoying the holiday or the festival, whatever it may be."