The Fairfax County Police Department’s drone unit has taken on new responsibilities and added a full-time drone program manager.

The drone unit now conducts more detailed work with the FCPD’s helicopter program, according to an FCPD news release. Among other tasks, the drone unit complements the helicopter program in crime scene and crash scene investigations, FCPD Second Lieutenant Brad Woehrlen wrote in a statement to FFXnow.

“Longer sustained operations illustrate how the drone program compliments the helicopter; the helicopter will go up initially and be able to more immediately provide input to the officers on the ground, and the drone team will take over to provide situational awareness to the officers and command,” Woehrlen wrote.

FCPD started using drones, also called unmanned aircraft systems, in 2019. Drones have since been involved with tasks including crime scene documentation, crash scene reconstruction and felonious suspect searches, per a public log of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) missions. The full list of permitted use cases for drones is outlined in a program manual.

“In a much longer term, as staffing improves, the vision will include a full-time team that is on the street with the equipment able to respond to calls as they come out,” Woehrlen wrote.

The drone program manager, the unit’s newest addition, trains pilots, works on airspace waivers and updates equipment and software, among other responsibilities.

“Because drones are classified as aircraft by the (Federal Aviation Administration) there is a significant amount of management required, which is part of the reason a full-time position was created,” Woehrlen wrote.

The police department’s use of drones is governed in part by the program manual. Among other policies, drones cannot fly beyond the visual line of sight of their operators and operators must “take all reasonable precautions to avoid inadvertently recording or transmitting images of individuals and areas uninvolved with the mission,” per the manual.

“Reasonable precautions” can include only using the drone’s live transmission rather than recording footage during an operation, according to the manual Drones also cannot be used as weapons.

Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have raised concerns about the privacy implications of drone use by police departments.

Protecting community members’ privacy is “an utmost priority,” Woehrlen wrote. He cited the program manual, directives for the FCPD’s helicopter unit and an additional privacy training that he said drone pilots are required to pass before operating missions or investigations.

“We also currently use software that logs our flight tracking, including the camera angle, which provides oversight of pilot activity and a record for any allegations of inappropriate usage,” Woehrlen wrote.

Nearby, Arlington County public safety agencies are working to develop and put in place a UAS program, police spokeswoman Ashley Savage wrote in an email to FFXnow.

“The program is not yet operational and additional information will be shared with the public as we get closer to the program’s launch,” she wrote.

In Loudoun County, the sheriff’s department also uses drones, according to a police spokesperson.

The FAA issued rules for drone operators in 2016. According to a March 2020 report from the now-defunct Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College, more than 1,500 U.S. state and local public safety agencies have obtained drones.

A number of new laws will take effect in Virginia this weekend, including expanded school zones, a prohibition on sexual harassment non-disclosure agreements, and classification of fentanyl as a “weapon of terrorism.”

Most laws passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor each year go into effect on July 1, which marks the beginning of the new fiscal year.

This year, nearly 740 bills were signed into law. Some are more mundane, while others could significantly impact Fairfax County residents, like last year’s banning of ticket quotas and medical marijuana patients no longer needing to register with the state.

Here are nine noteworthy laws going into effect tomorrow (Saturday) in Virginia:

Prohibiting sexual harassment non-disclosure agreements 

Introduced by local Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41), HB 1895 — also known as the Silenced No More Act — prohibits any non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the “purpose or effect of concealing the details of a sexual harassment claim.” If any such agreement does exist, it’s now “void and unenforceable,” per the new law. It mirrors recently enacted laws in other states as well as federal protections.

Assaulting a public transportation operator now leads to additional jail time

As attacks on bus drivers increase, HB 2330 now makes assaulting public transportation operators a Class 1 misdemeanor. That means a fine of up to $2,500 and up to one year in jail. The legislation, introduced by Del. Delores McQuinn of Richmond, also bans those convicted from using public transit systems.

However, critics say assailants often flee the scene prior to being arrested, suggesting the new law may not be particularly effective.

Fentanyl as “a weapon of terrorism” 

Fentanyl overdoses have increasingly become a major concern, particularly among young adults, in Fairfax County and nationwide. To impose harsher penalties on the drug’s manufacturing and distribution, SB 1188 and identical bill HB 1682 reclassify fentanyl as a “weapon of terrorism,” making those acts Class 4 felonies that could carry up to 10 years of jail time.

The new law is similar to ones in other states, though critics say the law doesn’t take into account context or circumstances, and increasing penalties could make people less likely to call authorities when someone they are with overdoses.

Solicitation of a minor disqualifying for potential public school workers

Along with physical and sexual abuse, solicitation of a minor has been added as an offense that will bar someone from being employed or doing contract work for a public school, if convicted, under HB 1822.

The legislation is partially in response to last year’s conviction of a then-Fairfax County Public Schools counselor who solicited prostitution from a minor in Chesterfield. While the man was arrested in November and convicted in March, FCPS didn’t fire him until August. An investigation found Chesterfield officials didn’t notify FCPS until months after the incident. The Chesterfield Police Department claimed emails bounced back and went to spam. Read More

Fairfax County Public Schools is in the process of instituting new safety and security measures, including vape detection in bathrooms, expanded background checks, and a drone pilot program for the incident response team.

At last week’s school board meeting, FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid delivered a comprehensive update on several security and safety measures in advance of a “community conversation” on May 8 at South Lakes High School in Reston.

In addition to touching on previously reported steps, like employee background checks and a joint effort with the county to install speed cameras near schools, Reid shared that FCPS is in the midst of a pilot program placing vape detection tools in bathrooms at several schools.

“This will immediately detect use at our schools and we are monitoring its effectiveness right now,” she said. “We think it’s prudent to pilot it to see whether it delivers on its promise before we actually install it in all schools.”

However, Reid later said the installed vape sensors have provided “mixed results so far and I’m not sure that’s the answer.”

The idea for installing sensors of this nature was first broached in 2019, but the program was only first implemented recently.

Vaping is a major concern among parents and schools, not only due to tobacco and marijuana use but because of the potential for overdosing. There have been reported cases where the substances used in vaping cartridges are laced with fentanyl.

The vape detection sensors are currently being used in two high schools and one middle school, an FCPS spokesperson told FFXnow. They declined to specify the exact schools, citing a need to balance information sharing with concerns about compromising security.

Also in the pilot phase is a weapons screening system utilizing “software that would detect weapons coming onto campus” and front office panic alarms, Reid said.

FCPS didn’t share which or how many schools are included in the weapons screening and panic alarm systems pilots.

“It is too early to provide feedback on systems that are already being piloted or explored, such as vape detection…or weapons detection and panic alarm systems,” the spokesperson said.

Reid also mentioned briefly a drone pilot program for the school system’s incident response team.

“[The drones are] able to go to sites that may not be able to be secured right away so that we can get information back and forth to division security staff,” Reid said.

Information about costs or when this drone program could be used was not mentioned at the meeting or in FCPS’ response to FFXnow. Read More