More than 40 drones seized in Philly since World Cup began
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Dozens of drones have been seized in Philadelphia since the start of the World Cup, part of a nationwide crackdown in which authorities have confiscated more than 300 drones.
Why it matters: As drones become a growing security threat, police departments in host cities are turning to military-grade technology and federal partnerships to monitor the skies.
Driving the news: The FBI tells Axios it has seized 42 drones in Philadelphia since World Cup festivities began June 11.
- The FAA restricted airspace around the World Cup stadiums, barring anyone from flying over matches and fan events.
- Anyone caught violating the restrictions can be prosecuted or fined up to $100,000.
- The FBI declined to discuss the circumstances of the Philadelphia seizures or say whether anyone had been arrested or cited.
State of play: Part of an effort to beef up World Cup security, Philadelphia received $7 million in federal funding to train officers and purchase equipment to protect the public from unauthorized drones.
- Philadelphia police declined to discuss the specific technology or tactics they're using to monitor the no-fly zone around Philadelphia Stadium.
- But PPD spokesperson Eric Gripp tells Axios the department is using tools, similar to those deployed by law enforcement agencies in other host cities, that can identify and detect drones flying in unauthorized areas.
Zoom out: Other host cities are taking more aggressive approaches. In Kansas City, police have sensors that alert authorities when drones enter restricted airspace and radio guns that can disrupt drone signals and force them to land, Axios' Travis Meier reports.
- The U.S. Coast Guard is using similar drone defense systems to protect World Cup games in Boston and San Francisco, the Military Times reported.
- Gripp says Philly police aren't using any "ballistics"-style weapons that can "shoot down" drones.
What they're saying: The growing use of drones in modern warfare has heightened concerns about an attack on major sporting events like the World Cup since "someone doesn't need to be physically present" to breach security, Mike Horowitz, director of Penn's Perry World House, tells Axios.
- Law enforcement doesn't "immediately know whether that's a fan trying to get a cool picture for the Christmas card or somebody hostile doing surveillance. Nobody wants a situation where you have what looks like a hobbyist drone that's actually a one-way attack drone."
Yes, but: A gentler approach will often do the trick, Gripp says.
- "Sometimes it's as simple as locating the drone operator in the area where an unauthorized drone has been spotted and asking them to have the drone land and/or return," he says.