Who owns the blinking drones circling Charlotte skies at night?
Drones have been spotted in Charlotte night skies in recent days, but who is flying them? What are they being used for? And how much longer will they be around?
The Charlotte Observer has reached out to Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ask if any of the agencies own or operate the drones.
The federal agencies did not respond; CMPD declined to say if the drones were theirs or not.
People in Charlotte neighborhoods reported seeing drones at night when federal Border Patrol agents arrived in the city and began, on Nov. 15, making arrests during the day in public spaces. Those federal operations were curtailed starting Thursday Nov. 20, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said its enforcement in Charlotte would continue.
On Sunday evening, at least ten drones were seeing circling the city, including over uptown and areas of North Tryon Street. Drones were hovering over the city on Monday evening as well.
CMPD use of drones
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has been secretive about the department’s drone ownership and operations, as well as policy.
The Charlotte City Council voted on Monday evening to approve a new drone program for CMPD.
The council’s vote relates to CMPD using drones as “first responders” at crime scenes and incidents, but CMPD has been using drones for at least several years.
In December 2023, officers shot and injured Sanrico McGill at his residence in north Charlotte and waited for a drone to arrive before going inside to check on him, The Charlotte Observer reported earlier this month. If the department has policies on such drone use, it has not released them publicly.
The council on Monday agreed to enter a five-year contract with Motorola Solutions Inc. at an annual cost of $2.5 million. The agreement came after the city opened bids for contracts this summer.
The city accepted a $1 million donation to help fund the contract. Drones will be used at scenes to gather information for officers. At an event in January, Chief Johnny Jennings touted the program as a way to keep officers safe.
This story was originally published November 25, 2025 at 2:05 PM.
