ST. LOUIS—One day after a company threatened to sue the city of St. Louis over opposition to plans to use surveillance drones as a security tool in the Gravois Park neighborhood, the company said it was withdrawing the plan and would do it in an unnamed neighborhood “at a time of our choosing.”

What You Need To Know

  • SMS Novel's plans first gained wide public attention in December, surprising residents and city officials 

  • Gravois Park neighborhood residents organized a petition drive to try and stop the plan

  • The St. Louis Board of Public Service issued a cease and desist letter, which the company said Thursday could lead it to take legal action 

  • Friday, the company said it would withdraw the plan for Gravois Park but would test the program in an unnamed city neighborhood at a time of its choosing, while also saying it planned to hire 20 more drone operators in the area
  • A bill introduced Friday at the Board of Aldermen would add city requirements to federal steps necessary to operate drones for commercial purposes in the city of St. Louis

City officials appeared to be caught off guard by SMS Novel’s plans, first reported by FOX2 last month. 

That led to a petition drive from Gravois Park residents, a cease and desist letter from the city and legislation introduced Friday morning at the St. Louis Board of Aldermen which the bill’s sponsor, Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier, says would place “community-based safety regulations and restrictions on the operation of drones” that would not pre-empt federal or state aviation laws.

On Thursday, SMS Novel CEO Joe Johnson said in a letter to the city’s Board of Public Service that the company’s “commitment to safety and compliance with federal regulations remains unwavering. We are open to constructive dialogue and collaboration to find a solution that upholds the law and allows for the lawful continuation of our security drone operations within St. Louis airspace,” while urging the city to consider the legal implications.

By Friday morning, plans for beta testing in Gravois Park had changed.

“Despite our sincere efforts in communication and transparency, it has become apparent that some residents prioritize their "concerns" over public privacy, hindering collaborative efforts to address crime effectively,” the company said in a message to neighborhood residents.

“We believe our program could have played a role in preventing a significant number of violent crimes in Gravois Park, especially those affecting minority residents. We are saddened to withdraw, knowing that our service could have enhanced safety, potentially saving lives and aiding in suspect identification.”

The company said it will test the concept in another neighborhood but did not indicate when or where that would happen. It also said that while it is re-examining safety measures for its drone pilots after receiving what it called “implicit violent threats”, it was looking to hire 20 more local drone operators in St. Louis.

While residents who opposed the plan in Gravois Park say they’re breathing a sigh of relief, they say they’re backing the city’s legislative efforts.

“The company says our concerns are overblown—while also saying they’ll still fly drones in an ‘unnamed' neighborhood at a time of our choosing,” Jake Lyonfelds said in a statement Friday. “We also urge the Board of Public Service to deny any business license application that SMS Novel submits, now or in the future, so that this company cannot continue trying to take advantage of our city.”

The board bill introduced Friday would require a city business license on top of an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate for anyone operating a drone for commercial purposes in the city. 

It would also ban the use of a drone for “surveillance or observation of any individual or privately owned property held by an individual without the express written consent of that individual or property owner.”