Minnesota law allows local police departments to use drones without a search warrant in specific cases:
1. during or in the aftermath of an emergency situation that involves the risk of death or bodily harm to a person;
2. at a public event where there is heightened risk to the safety of attendees;
3. to collect information from a public area if there is reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, among other situations;
4. to document evidence that is at imminent risk of destruction;
5. to search for a missing person;
6. to counter the risk of a terrorist attack by a specific individual or organization if the agency determines that credible intelligence indicates a risk;
7. to prevent the loss of life and property in natural or man-made disasters and to facilitate operational planning, rescue, and recovery operations in the aftermath of these disasters;
8. over a private area with the written consent of the occupant or a public area, for officer training or public relations purposes;
9. to collect information for crash reconstruction purposes after a serious or deadly collision occurring on a public road;
10. to conduct a threat assessment in anticipation of a specific event;
11. for purposes unrelated to law enforcement at the request of a government entity provided that the government entity makes the request in writing to the law enforcement agency and specifies the reason for the request and proposed period of use.
Community members have expressed concerns about a proposed drone program for Minneapolis police. Nearly 50 people spoke at a City Council co