# Van Buren UAV Operations Policy Policy 6.06 was implemented and revised 2018-01-24 and reviewed 2025-06-17. It names Chief [[Jonathan Wear]] as authority and establishes an operational UAV program, but this rolling package contains no inventory or deployment records. ## Privacy and program control The policy says UAV use must comply with constitutional and privacy rights and FAA rules. Without a warrant or exigent circumstances, operators and observers may not intentionally record or transmit images of a location where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy and must take reasonable precautions against inadvertent capture (`Policy 6.06 UAV Operations.pdf`, p. 2). The chief appoints a Program Coordinator responsible for training, legal and regulatory compliance, maintenance, security, evidence integrity, retention protocols, law-enforcement access, and periodic reports (`Policy 6.06 UAV Operations.pdf`, pp. 2-3). ## Mission and flight rules Each mission requires advance approval from the Program Coordinator or, if unavailable, the CID commander. Only trained personnel may operate or observe; an observer must be present; ordinary flight is limited to daylight, visual line of sight, and below 400 feet (`Policy 6.06 UAV Operations.pdf`, pp. 3-4). Authorized purposes include warrant execution, felony pursuit, felony crime-scene documentation, fatality and serious-injury crashes, crashes on state highways or federal interstates, missing-person searches, high-risk tactical operations, fire suppression/rescue, and: > `"Any other non-investigative missions that enhance the work of any department within the City of Van Buren."` (`Policy 6.06 UAV Operations.pdf`, p. 4.) The policy prohibits random surveillance, targeting based solely on protected characteristics, harassment or discrimination, and personal business. It also requires an intrusiveness-versus-investigative-need assessment (`Policy 6.06 UAV Operations.pdf`, pp. 4-5). ## Required deployment record After each deployment, a UAV Use Form must record: - Date and time. - Weather. - Flight duration. - Operator and observer. - Reason for deployment. - Mission synopsis. (`Policy 6.06 UAV Operations.pdf`, p. 5.) ## Production boundary This first rolling release contains no UAV inventory, registration, purchase, flight log, use form, mission approval, media register, training record, maintenance record, incident crosswalk, or disposition record. The policy proves an authorized program and required recordkeeping; it does not establish the hardware, volume, dates, locations, or current activity of actual deployments. ## Open questions - Current airframes, sensors, registration, ownership, assignment, and operational status. - Program Coordinator designation, authorized operators/observers, training, and FAA credentials. - UAV Use Forms, approvals, flight logs, captured-media/evidence registers, retention and purge records, maintenance, incidents, and mutual aid.