Cleveland police drone policy exceeds Ohio state regulations

Cleveland’s local police drone policy imposes stricter regulations than Ohio’s new statewide law, House Bill 251, which takes effect October 6. While the state law requires warrants for drones to look inside buildings, Cleveland’s policy prohibits several technologies and practices that remain legal under state law.

Specifically, Cleveland bans the use of facial recognition, gait analysis, and the surveillance of demonstrations. It also prohibits any weapon systems on police drones, whereas the state law only bans lethal weapons. Additionally, Cleveland requires that any captured information unrelated to a mission be deleted within 30 days, a retention schedule not specified in the state legislation.

The city’s rules also regulate ‘Blackout Mode’—a setting that disables lights and electronic markers while recording—requiring a search warrant for its use. In contrast, the state law does not address this feature. Cleveland’s Skydio X10 fleet has recorded 200 flight entries over the past year, primarily for sports events, suspect searches, and SWAT support.