The San Francisco Police Commission unanimously approved a \$9.4 million donation Wednesday evening to expand the city’s police drone program. The funding will also add 10 new drone launch sites across San Francisco.
“This is by far the largest one-time donation I think we’ve ever considered,” said Police Commissioner Kevin Benedicto. The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the donation later this month.
The funds will support the Real Time Investigation Center (RTIC), which was created soon after Proposition E passed in March 2024. The proposition allowed the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) to broaden its use of technology for crime detection and surveillance. Since its founding, the RTIC has increased the number of surveillance cameras and drones used to monitor criminal activity. According to the SFPD, the program has helped make over 500 arrests.
The donation was proposed last week by Ripple Labs, a San Francisco-based cryptocurrency company led by billionaire Chris Larsen. It was made through the San Francisco Police Community Foundation, a nonprofit Larsen started in 2023. Larsen has long supported expanding technology use in the police department and previously donated \$250,000 toward the passage of Proposition E.
However, Larsen’s earlier donations to install surveillance devices through a nonprofit came under scrutiny after SF SAFE allegedly misused the funds. Kyra Worthy, the former executive director of SF SAFE, currently faces 34 felony charges.
Of the new \$9.4 million donation, about \$2 million will be used to lease a 14,000-square-foot office on Montgomery Street. This space was previously occupied by Ripple Labs. Chief Bill Scott said the money will cover a 16-month lease, allowing the RTIC to move from its current, outdated Hall of Justice location until a permanent home is found.
The remaining \$7.4 million will go toward expanding the city’s Drones as First Responder program. This initiative was launched in October last year and enables trained officers to pilot drones remotely from RTIC headquarters. Until now, drones were stored in police cruisers and deployed on-site.
Currently, drones can only take off from two designated locations. With Larsen’s donation, the SFPD plans to add 10 more launch sites and introduce two new types of first-responder drones to their fleet.
“We’re going to be covering the entire city with drones,” said Captain Thomas MacGuire, a representative of the RTIC.
Most of the new launch locations will be at San Francisco fire stations. Chief Scott explained that this will allow drones to assist firefighters as well. “Whether we can provide them with thermal imaging of what the fire situation looks like, or help them find people that are in distress, we intend to do everything that we can,” he said.
