The city of Lompoc is considering a drone ordinance following a citizen complaint at the April 19 City Council meeting, according to Mayor Bob Lingl.
Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that often have cameras attached, used to record footage from a bird’s-eye view.
At the meeting, resident Dave Marston accused a neighbor of violating his privacy using a drone with a camera attached to it.
He didn’t say who it was, but Marston said he confronted the drone operator and later called the Lompoc Police Department.
But because Lompoc doesn’t have an ordinance regulating drones, Marston said the police could only take a report.
“We reported it to the Lompoc PD on three occasions,” Marston said. “But since this technology is so new, they just don’t know how to respond.”
Marston compared the drone to a periscope that invades privacy and said the city should pass a law prohibiting cameras on drones and model airplanes.
“I think he’s on to something,” Lompoc Police Chief Pat Walsh told the City Council. “I would be willing to assist the city attorney draft that policy.”
Walsh said it wasn’t the first time he’s had a citizen complaining of drones. He recalled someone telling him about a “5-foot” drone that followed them as they left town at 3 a.m.
“I think it’s kind of weird,” Walsh said.
Drones are regulated at the federal level, but not so much at the local level. Back in December 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a memo stating that local drone ordinances should fall in line with federal laws and be “carefully considered.”
Some of the FAA’s drone regulations for personal use include keeping the aircraft within line of sight, below 400 feet, and clear of surrounding obstacles. Those regulations also advise against “careless or reckless” use of drones and require operators to notify an airport if the drone is to fly within 5 miles of it.
At the City Council meeting, Marston said the entire city of Lompoc falls within the 5-mile threshold.
Los Angeles passed a drone ordinance in October 2015 that mirrors the FAA’s regulations. Under the new law, an operator faces a $1,000 fine and six months of jail time for flying drones above 400 feet, within 5 miles of an airport without notification, or within 25 feet of a person.
Back in October 2015, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation banning paparazzi from flying drones over private property.
Mayor Lingl and the City Council directed the city attorney to work with Walsh and city staff to draft an ordinance.
This article appears in Apr 28 – May 5, 2016.