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ATLANTA — The FBI and Atlanta police are preparing for a massive security operation ahead of the World Cup semifinals between England and Argentina at Atlanta Stadium.
Both agencies used drones to search for potential threats on the ground and in the sky. The FBI is enforcing temporary Federal Aviation Administration flight restrictions around the site.
The FBI has confiscated more than 600 drones nationwide since the start of the World Cup. Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office, Marlo Graham, said 86 of these drones were seized in Atlanta.
Graham said the FBI uses a “mechanism” that allows agents to see unauthorized drones in restricted airspace. Agents then work to mitigate the threat posed by the unknown drones.
“We were able to safely land unauthorized drones within the restricted flight zone,” Graham said.
The FBI has confiscated more than 600 drones at World Cup events since the tournament began. (FBI Atlanta)
While the FBI considers every drone a potential threat, Graham said the threat level can increase depending on the size of the drone and its distance from the stadium.
“Obviously the closer the stadium, the bigger the crowd. We’re fortunate here in Atlanta to have a closed-dome stadium,” Graham said. “We don’t want the game to be impacted because a fan couldn’t control his drone, and it landed just as one of our star players was about to score a goal.”
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The Atlanta Police Department’s drone unit helped the FBI track down people suspected of flying in restricted areas.
Sgt. Kindu Franklin said most people caught flying drones around World Cup venues are amateurs who have no intention of harming the crowds of soccer fans below.
“In some cases, they’ve recently purchased a drone just so FIFA can get some of the interesting footage they want to post on their social media,” Franklin said. “There are different ways to arm these drones, so we operate proactively.”
Atlanta police drone mission during World Cup focuses on surveillance. (FOX)
The Atlanta Police Department’s drone mission is focused on surveillance. Agents are looking for potential threats, traffic issues and people the FBI suspects of illegally piloting drones.
“So what we want to do is give our command staff the impression that they can’t from the ground,” said Sergeant James Cunningham of APD’s drone unit.
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Cunningham’s unit can launch drones remotely from handheld controllers. Other drones are launched from strategically placed docking stations around the city, and officers control them from the back of an SUV using a computer and PlayStation controller.
Atlanta police are launching drones from strategically placed docks around the city. They are controlled by a computer and a PlayStation controller. (PK Press Club)
Drone docks are used year-round to help police get an aerial view of emergency situations before officers arrive. The computer tells the drone pilot where all police cameras and vehicles are located in the area, allowing him to better communicate with officers on the ground.
For the World Cup, drone docks allow the department to have more eyes in the sky and respond more quickly to emergencies.
“It’s going to cut down the time. We’ll get there quickly. And then you’ll get an aerial perspective of what you can’t see on the ground,” Cunningham said.
The Atlanta Police Department is launching drones from docks to get more eyes in the sky and respond to emergencies more quickly. (PK Press Club)
Cunningham said the drone unit has completed more than 1,400 flights and logged more than 550 flight hours since the beginning of June.
“Some people haven’t even done it in years or haven’t even hit those numbers over the life of their drone unit,” Cunningham said.
“We train for the environment. We live here, so we know what to expect,” said Anais Paredes, APD drone pilot.
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The FBI is asking amateur drone pilots to be aware of temporary flight restrictions in their area before taking off.
There is a one-mile restriction around World Cup stadiums on non-match days, and a three-mile restriction on match days.
