Police showed up my house within 15 minutes of flight today

[OurAngryBadger]

OK, I will post the video but will want to edit out my license plate in the background.

Here is a photo from the video just in case anyone thinks I made the video up after the fact. I'm posting this on the time stamp of this forum post which is the night of all of this.

I have multiple cameras around my house also. I have yet to see what the guy did when I landed the drone.

In the picture the guy is holding up his badge. You can see his partner in the background with the badge on his front shirt.

Guys, this whole encounter with police gives me a bad feeling about flying drones. There is just something about two police offers showing up at your front door like this 15 minutes into the flight. The whole experience was kind of unnerving to say the least.

@Edward500 sorry I doubted you, thanks for posting the photo.

When remote ID rolls out, it's not going to matter anymore anyway. Everyone will know where you are flying your drone, not just the police.

 

[Edward500]

I was just watching the home security video from when someone else answered the door at my house. These guys were running around and were all out looking for who is flying the drone. It was just ridiculous as this was before the parade.

They were acting like I just shot someone and were trying to find me. I have to work all day tomorrow so I can't post the video until probably this Tuesday on you tube.

This is probably the craziest police response to a drone you will see on you tube.

 

[Unknown Pilot]

How are you able to See & Avoid from inside your house? We are required to fly VLOS.

I use a window. They're pretty popular here in Africa.

 

[Recoveryone]

I still have questions that you have not answered
What is the Airspace in your area?
Most Local law enforcement are not as proactive as NYC, so It would only be something of a more serious violation other than a parade that would trigger such a response.
I would suggest in the future when you post here that you be fully transparent with all the facts. The reason I like this site is the level of accountability that is expected of everyone. Telling only oneside of a story gives some of us pause. Good luck and happy flights in the future

 

[Keule]

What is the Airspace in your area?

It looks like this:

 

[OurAngryBadger]

It looks like this:

View attachment 95553

The plot thickens... How do you know OPs location?

 

[Keule]

How do you know OPs location?

Google is your friend.
Just search New York City + Parade ...

 

[OurAngryBadger]

Google is your friend.
Just search New York City + Parade ...

Gotcha.

There also was another parade on the same day in Queens, it looks like the one you posted was on Staten Island.

This is the airspace over the one in Queens

 

[Keule]

it looks like the one you posted was on Staten Island.

Because it fitted the time frame (2 hrs before the parade) Staten Island parade started at 12:30 pm.

 

[Drones.n.Pixels]

Counter terrorism task force showed up at my house about 15 minutes of flight. There was a parade starting in 2 hours and that is why they showed up.

I wasn't flying over my house and there is no way they could have known it was from my house. They came right to my house and even in my yard. I was at a window in my house at the time. There is no way they could have known which of the many houses with close back yards that the drone could have come from.

How did they know so quickly? Is this because they can log into DJI software and know my fly home address?

Someone reported you. They clearly saw where you were flying from and did not take kindly to it.

 

[unionglzr]

How are you able to See & Avoid from inside your house? We are required to fly VLOS.

second or third floor window is excellent for and elevated vlos view compared to street level

 

[crlmjohnson]

Counter terrorism task force showed up at my house about 15 minutes of flight. There was a parade starting in 2 hours and that is why they showed up.

I wasn't flying over my house and there is no way they could have known it was from my house. They came right to my house and even in my yard. I was at a window in my house at the time. There is no way they could have known which of the many houses with close back yards that the drone could have come from.

How did they know so quickly? Is this because they can log into DJI software and know my fly home address?

I would almost bet, one of your neighbors know that you have a drone. Most Police departments are not that concern about you flying a drone, unless you are disturbing someone or committing a crime.

 

[Deleted member 114292]

I’m not sure what all the brouhaha is about.
Last I checked all cars have a license plate and that license plate is registered with the state every time you drive your car you can be quickly Identified.

Why should it be any different flying a drone?

My take is the police got a new toy we’re playing around with it saw your drone And came by just to warn you.
You should be grateful they came by to warn you.

 

[GFields]

I've flown many times from my house without issue, the issue today was flying over a parade path. The police were at my house ringing the doorbell 15 minutes into my flight and while my drone was still in the air. I was inside my house the entire time.

Wow, I didn't know the MM had that kind of reception to be able to fly a parade route from within your house.

 

[Marfoto]

Remote ID is why so fast they find you. You saying 15 min into the flight and police was at your house so they picked your signal much earlier... probably as soon as you took off. It's way of the future and we all need to be careful and flie responsible and respectful.

 

[JoeBoy]

What is wrong with flying out of your window and looking at the screen of your cell phone to guide your flying?

Because that is illegal. You are supposed to keep the UAV within visual line of sight (VLOS) the whole time.

 

[jagraphics]

Because it fitted the time frame (2 hrs before the parade) Staten Island parade started at 12:30 pm.

Your one of THEM? I have heard the Illuminati work with google and know everything...


As you point out it can be surprising how much information is out there in the public domain and a reasonably intelligent computer literate person can often find out [almost?] as much as the FBI etc in a few minutes on public systems. It is just putting the data together to give information that is the trick (and having the right sort of mind to arrange the pieces).

I suspect that looking at the still image the OP posted (was there a video too?) you can work out the orientation of the road outside the house, in horizontal and vertical planes, the side of the road the OP is on and type of house. Also the distinctive hedge on the space opposite the OP's house. Also the make and model of the car of the OP and the one in the house opposite. We know the flight time of a Mavic Mini and the route of the parade. That narrows down the location to something a civilian could find in a few hours if so minded. (I am the wrong side of the pond)

EDIT: a quick look at the image @Keule posted of the area and I susspect a couple of hours on google maps, there is street view in that area, would pin it down which might be a more interesting thing to do that watch TV for an evening. I know a lot of people in/ex LEA/military /intelligence who would do it just for the fun of it. (thats without the geeks who love challenges )

Finally most wireless and indeed wired concumer CCTV systems are very easily remotely hackable.

The DJI tracker and registering drones is the least of the OP's worries on privacy.


You really have to hope that the terrorists. never discover online maps and search engines!

 

[JAW]

Flipped in by a neighbor, me thinks.

 

[Jose O. Arce]

I figured it out. Basically law enforcement most likely has what is called DJI Aeroscope. This is something that has been available for years and gives you all the information about your DJI Drone. That is how they showed up so quickly to my house. I did fly over a parade path, which was 2 hours before the parade but they investigate anyway.

The officer even knew what I was flying by saying, what are you flying a DJI Phantom, which was really a dJI Mini. He said he couldn't tell me how they know but said they would know if I fly it again. He also said that normally they would never care about flying it around but because there was a parade they had to investigate. He was fair and left.

He did throw around that you could be charged and even dropped the reckless endangerment charges, this is a criminal charge they can use on anyone really by saying you were reckless. Even if its only a 250 gram drone which you were flying 200 feet up in the air. Usually they would only charge you with this if someone got hurt but they could technically charge you even if nobody got hurt.

I've flown many times from my house without issue, the issue today was flying over a parade path. The police were at my house ringing the doorbell 15 minutes into my flight and while my drone was still in the air. I was inside my house the entire time.

Anyone who flies a DJI is basically being tracked and they know all your information. Just watch this youtube video.

Basically, every fight you do with a DJI Drone is being tracked and law enforcement can easily know everything, your return to home location, your exact flight path, everywhere you have flown, your Email address.

DJI Aeroscope Test - How To Monitor Rogue Drones, a Hands On Test.

Thank you Edward for sharing the video, very informative...?

 

[xspwhite]

Thank you Edward for sharing the video, very informative...?

He hasn't shared the video yet. He said he would do it on Tuesday.