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Salesforce, Chris Larsen Donate $3M Each to Boost SFPD’s Real-Time Investigations Center

The latest tech contributions to SFPD’s Real Time Investigations Center come from Salesforce and Chris Larsen with combined $6 million in donations, which will go toward boosting infrastructure and operations and developing “counter-drone” technology.

Arts & Entertainment

Harry Potter-Themed Drone Show Coming to Oracle Park

A family-friendly drone show is coming to Oracle Park in September which will feature images and characters from the Harry Potter universe, rendered in the air above the stands via 1,200 drones.

PG&E Blames Rogue Drone for Escalating Dixie Fire as It Seeks Cost Recovery From Customers

Air crews were making headway containing the Dixie Fire in 2021 until an unidentified drone forced them to ground for 45 minutes, shortly before winds picked up and night causing the blaze to quickly spread, and while PG&E was found to be at fault, the utility wants to increase rates.

Five Live SFPD Drone Feeds Were Publicly Available Online for Six Months

Two researchers discovered a public web link to five SFPD drone cameras with live feeds of active arrests and investigations, as well as the faces and other identifying info of bystanders, and it was active for six months before it was taken down.

SFPD Launches Pilot Program In SoMa That Will See Drones Arrive at Crime Scenes Before Cops Do

A drone pilot program is being planned for this fall in SF's South of Market neighborhood in which the SFPD will be testing out the use of drones as pre-first responders to crime scenes or potential crime scenes, to provide assessments of the situations at hand.

Video: SFPD Uses Drone to Track Robbery/Auto Burglary Suspects, Four Suspects Arrested

San Francisco police, looking to show off the drone technology that has been helping them to make arrests without engaging in unsafe chases, just released drone video of one recent pursuit and arrest.

Bay Area Sports

ICYMI: The Giants' Opening Day Game Featured Star Spangled Banner Smoke Show

Possibly thanks to the involvement of Netflix, the MLB Opening Day game at Oracle Park Wednesday night featured a drone pyrotechnic show during the national anthem, with the American flag — ironically? — going up in smoke.

Iran May Be Seeking to Strike California With Drone, According to FBI Warning

The consequences of Trump's (and Israel's) war with Iran could hit very close to home if Iran, or one of its proxies, were able to launch a drone strike from a vessel in the Pacific aimed at California.

Arts & Entertainment

Video: See the Drone Show That Followed Saturday's Chinese New Year Parade

After technical difficulties grounded the drones in 2025, a successful drone show lit up the sky over the Bay by SF's Embarcadero in celebration of the Year of the Horse.

Arts & Entertainment

Chinese New Year Parade Will Also Have 'Year of the Horse'-Themed Drone Show Over Embarcadero

There will be a big drone light show over the waterfront Saturday night, in conjunction with the Chinese New Year Parade — and this seems to be a redo from last year, when a technical snafu canceled the drone show.

Super Bowl Drone Ban Declared at Several SF Locations, in Addition to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara

It’s no surprise that drones are banned from the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium, but that ban has also been curiously extended to SF venues like the Ferry Building, the Moscone Center, and even Grace Cathedral.

Business & Tech

DoorDash Wins Its Appeal to Test Food Delivery Drones in the Mission, and the Teamsters Aren’t Happy

Delivery platform DoorDash bought a warehouse at 16th and Folsom to test delivery drones, but the Teamsters challenged their permit on zoning grounds. Now the drones will fly, after the SF Board of Appeals shot down the Teamsters' appeal.

ACLU Sues Sonoma County Over Drone Use, Could SF Be Next?

A pair of Sonoma County farm owners say that county’s drone surveillance program is unconstitutional, and they’ve enlisted the ACLU to bring a lawsuit, which could set a legal precedent affecting SFPD’s new drone-happy policies.

Tuesday Morning Topline: SFPD Touts Drone Success In Catching Thieves

The SFPD shared videos of arrests made with drone assistance; a bicyclist died in a solo crash in Oakland; and the Strava running app is giving away the location of Biden, Harris, and Trump via their security staffs.

Meet the New Drones the SFPD Will Be Using (and Is Actually Already Using)

SFPD now has six drones in their fleet after voters approved the department's use of drones this past March. Here's what those six drones look like, and how they will be deployed.

Antioch Mayor Says Police Got Drone Footage of This Weekend’s Sideshows, Vows Arrests and Impoundings

A rash of East Bay sideshows this weekend involved one in Oakland with a hit-and-run, but the mayor of Antioch claims he sicced drones on one of the sideshows, and he’ll bring the daredevil drivers to justice.

March Ballot Measure Proposes Giving SF Cops Drones, More Surveillance Tools

Mayor London Breed’s priorities are all over your March 5 primary ballot, including one measure that proposes to give San Francisco police expanded use of drones and surveillance cameras.

SF Supervisor Proposes Novel Method to Crack Down on Sideshows: Drones

SF Supervisor Rafael Mandelman proposed a new idea Tuesday to potentially crack down on and deter sideshows in the city, without putting police or participants in unnecessary danger while they're occurring.

Arts & Entertainment

Video: San Francisco Man Sends Pal a Roll of Toilet Paper Via Drone

Tech savvy and drone-loving San Franciscans were bound to resort to this contact-less delivery method, and one friend decided to help another out when there was no TP to be found.

Arts & Entertainment

Haunting Drone Footage Shows the Ghost Town Of San Francisco on Sunday

One week in to a shelter-in-place order and a growing global pandemic, San Francisco was its beautiful self on Sunday — just nearly devoid of people. Check out this gorgeous but chilling drone footage shot all over town.

Drone High Jinks — And Potential Deadly Crashes — Worry Golden Gate Bridge Officials

With six drone crashes on the bridge in the last five years, a top official posits, “By the grace of God, it hasn’t hit a car, bicyclist or pedestrian.”

Alleged Drone Killing of Hawk In Dolores Park Has Birder Community Ruffled

We don’t know for sure that a drone killed a hawk in Dolores Park on Christmas Eve, but one earwitness account was enough to get avian advocates and Nextdoor gadflies furious at the possibility. Animal Care and Control has yet to confirm a cause of death for the bird.

Day Around The Bay: Homeless Cleared From Civic Center BART Entrances

Two restaurants in a Daly City strip mall, Upside Down Burger and House of Sisig, had a bit of a rat problem recently, and House of Sisig consequently got shut down by the

Behold The Bizarre Towers That Amazon Has Designed To House Delivery Drones

The future has arrived. Amazon has begun to design towers to house their delivery drones. We're all mere steps away from having groceries, drugs, and vegan Thai food delivered by drones. Seattle-based online

Arts & Entertainment

Video: Drone Footage Of The Newly Renovated Alamo Square

The fences have come down, the dogs have returned to their long-closed play space, and Alamo Square Park is open once again, for the first time in a year following a $5.3