BURLESON COUNTY, Texas (KRHD) — Residents in Burleson County are reporting an increase in drone sightings, creating safety and privacy concerns.
- The Burleson County Sheriff's Office says they haven't received any drone reports, but residents have been posting about multiple sightings on Facebook since Jan. 2.
- Law enforcement increasingly uses drones for tasks like search and rescue and businesses like Amazon for deliveries.
- There are rules that regulate drones, i.e., drones must stay under 400 feet and cannot be used for surveillance of private property.
- Shooting down a drone is illegal and considered a Class II felony, punishable by fines and up to 20 years in prison
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Art Fuhrmann isn't too worried about the recent drone sightings in Burleson County.
"I haven't seen any here. I mean, I've seen stuff in the past. It's been pretty weird, but yeah, no, I haven't seen any so far," he said.
But many of our neighbors on social media are — reporting drone sightings over properties and voicing concerns about privacy and potential safety issues.
But the Burleson County Sheriff's Office tells 15ABC there's nothing to worry about.
"Drones are becoming more and more commonplace with the way technology is advancing," Drone Operator Randy Jackson said.
"Law enforcement, obviously, uses ours for search and rescue and things of that nature. I mean, you've got Amazon and Walmart doing deliveries now."
There are laws that do regulate drone use.
"On the federal side, drones over 0.55 pounds must register with the FAA. They must stay below 400 feet. Pilots must maintain a visual line of sight, and those pilots cannot fly near airports without special authorization," he said.
"On the state side, when it comes to private residents, drones cannot be used to take surveillance photos or videos of private property."
But if you don't like drones, there's just one more thing you should know.
"I know some people have been suggesting to shoot the drones down. So, that is not legal, correct?," 15ABC asked.
"That is not okay— if you shoot one down, it's actually a Class II felony, can come with substantial fines and some serious jail time," Jackson said.
