Earlier this week the CBS affiliate in Sacramento reported about residents in the Land Park neighborhood being unhappy about a drone flying over their homes at night. The culprit? The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) that manages two nearby housing communities where serious crimes have occurred. Even in the limited time that the drone has been operating, SHRA has already spotted illegal dumping and trespassing.

Although the drone is being operated legally and with appropriate safety and privacy-protection protocols, the clear failure here was the lack of initiation of a ‘good neighbor’ program. Although it is unrealistic to expect full support from the entire community, a public relations campaign aimed at educating the public regarding the positive impact of the drone usage on public safety would have gone a long way towards reducing public apprehensions.