The Drones as First Responders Act now is headed to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's desk to be signed into law. It will allow police agencies to use drones to monitor large special events, such as parades and festivals.
"It just makes sense," said John Millner, director of government relations and lobbyist for the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. "If the drone were up, this would have never happened," Millner said."Had a drone been in the air, our prediction is that the shooter would not have taken the chance, based on all we know."
The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police has proposed drone bills over the last several years that went nowhere. It wasn't until the Highland Park mass shooting that the winds changed and public opinion shifted in favor of the use of drones by law enforcement.