According to an article by DroneLife.com:
The Texas Department of Public Safety flew 16 drone missions in the state on Oct. 18 in response to the No Kings protests, keeping watch over sites such as the Capitol Complex in Austin, downtown Dallas and the Alamo.
The flights were conducted to ensure public safety and provide tactical overwatch of some of the massive demonstrations that took place across Texas and the rest of the country, according to data released to DroneLife, under a Texas Public Information Act request.
According to the DPS, the drones were not used to collect surveillance data on individuals participating in the protests, as some civil liberties groups had feared might be the case.
“The use of UAS was for providing situational awareness of the events, and not to obtain any identifying information of any participants. Any images obtained as part of these events will be retained for one year. No images captured as part of these events by UAS will be utilized to identify or conduct further investigations on individuals,” the agency said in a statement accompanying the release of the data.
The DPS listed “Providing Security at a Large Public Event” as the primary reason for most of the flights, with the purpose of one flight being listed as being to provide a quick response to a public safety event.
No arrest or other significant incidents were recorded as a result of the drone overflights, although one of the flights over the Capitol Complex in Austin helped locate a heat stroke victim.
The DPS’s drone response to the No Kings protests reflected those of other police agencies across the country.
In recent months, with the increased use of drones by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, some political leaders and civil liberties advocates have expressed concern over the possibility that UAVs used to monitor protest demonstrations could also could be used as surveillance tools to gather data on individuals, impinging on their civil rights.
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