UAS Program
The University of Texas at Arlington Police Department Aviation Unit operates small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) to help make campus events safer and to aid in criminal investigations. The Unit aids the Police Department in many public safety operations such as missing individuals, accident investigation, actively fleeing subjects, and assisting in assessing damages from natural disasters. The sUAS are for observational purposes only and do not carry any weapons of any kind, nor are used for routine patrol or surveillance.
The University of Texas At Arlington Police Department operates several commercially available quadcopters that are battery operated. The systems are operated by a pilot with a controller and have “return to home” features in the event control of the sUAS is lost. All pilots are certified under the Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 rules for sUAS operations. Additionally, the UTAPD has obtained a Certificate of Authority from the FAA.
As required by House Bill 912 Passed by the 83rd Texas Legislative Cycle, The University of Texas at Arlington Police Department is required to report on a 2 year cycle the use of sUAS. The reports can be viewed via the following links.