CMPD says the drones flying over Charlotte at night don’t belong to them
Drones circling Charlotte night skies in recent weeks are not owned or operated by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, a police major confirmed Thursday afternoon.
While CMPD plans to use drones to assist officer responses in the future, none are in operation yet, Maj. Gene Lim said at a press conference in uptown.
New Chief Estella Patterson also said CMPD wasn’t using drones at this time.
Dozens of drones have been spotted in recent weeks, including over uptown and areas of North Tryon Street. People reporting seeing many drones at night when federal Border Patrol agents arrived in Charlotte on Nov. 15. Those federal operations were curtailed starting Thursday Nov. 20, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said its immigration enforcement in Charlotte would continue.
Federal agencies have not answered whether they own or operate the drones.
CMPD will eventually begin using drones during emergency situations as “first responders” to gather information for officers.
The Charlotte City Council recently voted 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.
Multi-agency operation announced
Patterson on Thursday announced a new collaboration between local law enforcement agencies to reduce crime in uptown and fight the perception of crime in the area, she said. The initiative, called “Operation Safe Season,” will launch Friday evening, Patterson said.
She was joined by law enforcement officers from the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, Alcohol Law Enforcement, and the N.C. State Highway Patrol. Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather and Russ Ferguson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, also spoke at the press conference.
Patterson said crime between January and November is down 9% in Charlotte overall. There has also been a 20% decrease in violent crime and a 6% decrease in property crime, she said. But the department’s Central Division, which includes uptown, saw crime trending the other direction.
Patterson said violent crime and aggravated assaults are both up by 15% compared to last year in the Central Division. And there have been 10 homicides in the Central Division this year, which is up from four last year.
“While we understand that conflicts arise, arguments happen, disagreements occur, none of it should ever end in tragedy,” Patterson said. “Violence is never a solution. Yet we see that more and more every day.”
Patterson didn’t provide many details about the new operation, but said there would be more law enforcement officers present and visible in uptown during “peak entertainment hours.”
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
