Public Hearing on Legislator Hood's Proposal to Regulate Use of Drones in Rockland County

The Rockland County Legislature will hold a public hearing at the April 7, 2015 meeting concerning a proposed local law, that if adopted, would regulate the use of drones within the county.

The law was proposed by Vice Chairman of the Legislature Jay Hood, Jr., after Sheriff Lou Falco informed him of possible illicit uses around county property such as the Jail complex. The law would limit the operation of a drone to the operator’s own private property, the private property of another by written permission from that property owner; and to public parks.

Currently, there are no state or federal regulations regarding who may purchase a drone and that represents a safety risk to members of the public, said Vice Chairman Hood. “Drones may be purchased by sex offenders or individuals with criminal backgrounds and used for unlawful purposes,” explained Legislator Hood, who chairs the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee. “These aircraft can be used by peeping toms or a contentious neighbor. A resident should have a reasonable expectation of privacy in his or her home.”

Rockland County Sheriff Louis Falco, said, “The unrestricted use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or drones, has become an increasing challenge for law enforcement. This law will be particularly helpful to the security our county correctional facility and I applaud Legislator Hood for working with me to propose this local law. By making it unlawful to operate a Drone in the area of the correctional facility, it will help to protect our officers, the facility and the inmates.”

The local law would not prohibit the use of drones by law enforcement, fire or emergency service agencies to aid in crime, traffic and fire scene investigations in accordance with federal and state statutes that already regulate the use of drones.

The public hearing is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. and public input is encouraged. The County Legislature meets in its chambers in the Rockland County Office Building, 11 New Hempstead Rd., New City, NY. To obtain information on this meeting or other committee meeting schedules and agendas, please visit www.rocklandgov.com, click on County Legislature and follow link to Legislative or Committee Agendas or call (845) 638-5100. All agendas are subject to change.

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