On July 14, AUVSI attended and spoke before the Airborne Law Enforcement Association (ALEA) conference in Houston, TX. Mario Mairena, Senior Government Relations Manager, attended the Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations (SUAS) course. The course is designed to provide attendees with a review of SUAS start-up, missions and applications, FAA regulations, a review off the legal and privacy issues, management issues and all facets of starting and operating a successful program. On the second day of the course, Mario Mairena provided a legislative update to the attendees and discussed the many onerous state bills that have passed and are currently in play that have an adverse effect on the law enforcement community.
ALEA and the International Association Chiefs of Police (IACP) have and continue to be key stakeholders in AUVSI’s efforts to defeat legislation that attempts to rewrite search warrant requirements and create a separate distinction between manned and unmanned systems.