Lawrence police share concerns over drones flown when KU won national basketball championship
By Kris Ketz
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KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — The night the University of Kansas won the national championship in men’s basketball was a night of so much joy for so many fans. But KMBC 9 Investigates has learned it was also a night of great concern for Lawrence police.
It was not so much about what was happening on Massachusetts Street, but what was happening above the thousands of fans.
Lawrence police were everywhere the night of April 4.
“You’re not just looking for the kid who’s had a few too many beers, trying to climb up a light pole,” KMBC’s Kris Ketz asked Lawrence police Sgt. Drew Fennelly.
“No, that would be the least of our concerns,” Fennelly said.
The real concern that night involved unidentified drones. Lawrence police counted 13 that night. In some cases, they were flying close to the crowd.
“If you look around the world, drones are more commonly being used for bad intentions and they’re being used to commit terrorist attacks. They’re being used to deliver explosives. They’re being used to deliver chemicals,” Fennelly said.
What’s worse is that if there was an attack, Lawrence police and every other local law enforcement agency lack the legal ability to stop it.
“If someone is flying a drone with bad intentions, there’s no way for us to address that threat as the way the law stands right now,” Fennelly said.
That is because the federal government controls the skies. There is expensive and sophisticated technology out there to interfere and maybe even stop a drone in an attack. The feds can use these devices but not local law enforcement.
“How long has this been a concern of this department?” Ketz asked.
“In earnest, for the last probably year, we’ve really started to notice,” said Deputy Chief Adam Heffley, of the Lawrence Police Department.
Heffley said they’re not focused on drone operators flying within the rules, yet it’s this man’s job to help represent them.
“This is a real issue that needs to be addressed,” said Michael Robbins, who is with a Washington, D.C.-area based group that represents thousands of drone operators.
Robbins said that if you’re going to give local authorities what they want, there is more to consider.
“All these things have to be done very, very, very carefully. And that’s why, you know, we still have some questions on, I mean, what’s the training look like? What are the rules of engagement? What is the oversight of these programs? Needs to be done, it just has to be done correctly. Otherwise, we could create as many problems as we’re seeking to solve,” Robbins said.
There’s a bill in the Senate right now that would give local law enforcement the legal permission it’s seeking. Yet the bill’s future remains unclear.
If there was an attack, some might ask, “Why don’t police just shoot it down?”
There are a couple of problems there: One, it’s not legal, and two, if it hits the drone, where the drone will land? Then you worry that if the shot misses, where will that bullet land? It’s one of those pieces of technology that is ahead of the law and the law hasn’t caught up yet.
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