Alameda County sheriff reveals that he’s bought 2 drones

Drone opponents gather and hand out fliers under a mock-up of a military style "Predator" drone. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors listened to arguments from the sheriff's department and the ACLU on the issue of Alameda County becoming the first county in California to use unmanned drones for police work, at the Alameda County Administration Building in Oakland, CA Wednesday February 14th, 2013 less Drone opponents gather and hand out fliers under a mock-up of a military style "Predator" drone. The Alameda County Board of Supervisors listened to arguments from the sheriff's department and the ACLU on the ... more Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Alameda County sheriff reveals that he’s bought 2 drones 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

A year after being told he couldn’t use federal homeland security money to buy drones, Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern said Tuesday that he has used money from his own department to buy two such devices.

Controversy erupted when Ahern first revealed plans to buy a drone for non-surveillance purposes. Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, said there was nothing to stop the sheriff from using — and abusing — the drones for unauthorized missions.

In an interview Tuesday, Ahern said he decided to spend $97,000 from the county’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to buy two small unmanned aerial surveillance devices. The sheriff’s office plans to discuss the purchase and provide a demonstration to the media Wednesday.

“We try to keep our agency equipped with the best technology so that we can provide the best service to the community and allow our people to do their job safely,” Ahern said.

Ahern said each AirCover QuadRotor QR425 would not be used for surveillance “in any shape, manner or form. They’re designed for mission-specific incidents.”

Critics said Ahern bowed to public pressure last year when he withdrew a consent item that called on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to approve the purchase of a drone using federal funds.

Now, Ahern has skirted public scrutiny by buying the drones in secret using a different source of funds, said Linda Lye, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU in San Francisco.

“This is a troubling example of law enforcement trying to acquire invasive and extremely unpopular surveillance technology in secret,” Lye said. “There was a huge hue and cry when he did in secret, and he’s done it in secret a second time.”

Lye said she had been under the impression from exchanges with Ahern that the drone issue had been on the department’s “back burner.” She added, “This is clearly an effort to bypass the public process.”

Ahern said sheriff’s officials have reached out to the ACLU and other public groups at more than 25 events, discussing how the drones would be used during natural disasters, to help find missing people and to assist the SWAT team during critical incidents.

The purchase comes as San Jose police are also trying to communicate to the public about the recent purchase of a Century NEO 660 V2 Hex-Rotor that hasn't yet taken to the skies.

Civil rights activists blasted the department for not informing the public of the device either before or after its purchase in January. Police bought the drone for just under $7,000 in federal grant money to help the bomb squad assess threats and inspect explosives, officials said.

In August, San Jose police issued a statement acknowledging that the department “should have done a better job of communicating the purpose and acquisition of the (drone) to our community. The community should have the opportunity to provide feedback, ask questions, and express their concerns before we move forward with this project.”

Police said they could potentially use the drone for purposes beyond the bomb squad, including for “situations that threaten public safety,” including “active shooters, hostage-taking, or other such tactical situations where lives might be in immediate danger.”

Both San Jose police and the Alameda County sheriff’s office need to apply for Federal Aviation Administration approval, including certificates of authorization, to fly their drones.

Last month, San Jose police made a presentation to the city’s Neighborhoods Commission about its plans. Police will discuss their plans at a community outreach meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday at San Jose City Hall.

Henry K. Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: hlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @henryklee