Drone ordinance would allow citations to be issued in Madison

Josh Spreiter by Josh Spreiter

Police agencies look into using drones

Two Madison common council members will bring a proposed ordinance to the table involving drones. The ordinance would allow citations to be issued to those using drones illegally.

Right now, authorities within the city of Madison are not able to issue citations to drone users who violate state law, but that could soon change.

Alders Shiva Bidar-Sielaff and Marsha Rummel have proposed an ordinance allowing Madison police to cite people who violate state statutes on the use of drones.

Drones are primarily regulated by the FAA just like manned aircraft, but in the state some laws limit specific activities you can do with the drone. In April, state legislators passed a measure prohibiting local governments from adopting drone regulations that conflict with state and federal law. The proposal by the two city council members would mirror state law.

After state law changed, officials say questions were raised about privacy and surveillance. State law limits some use, like invading someone’s privacy when shooting video from a drone, flying so low to the ground in an intentional act of interfering with private property, or endangering people on the ground.

Fines can range anywhere from $500 to $2000 depending on the citation issued.

The Public Safety Review Committee meets on Wednesday.

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