Syracuse residents can provide input on a plan the city says will allow police officers to deploy drones as a way to assess emergency situations and provide information before officers arrive. 

Appointed by Mayor Ben Walsh, the city's Surveillance Technology Working Group will accept community comment on the technology beginning Thursday through Feb. 13 at this city website. 

Public comment is required as part of a 2020 executive order signed by Walsh that plans for surveillance technology and ensures it's used safely. The city says drones will help reduce police response times by quickly providing “eyes on a scene” before officers get there. 

"The Department intends to deploy the uncrewed aerial system (UAS) in the Drone as a First Responder program only in response to a 911 call and incidents reported by officers in the field," a city statement released Thursday states. "The types of calls eligible for UAS response include shots fired, search and rescue situations, burglaries, and high priority calls."

The group accepting public comment is comprised of city staff, community advocates and others. Questions about the review of surveillance can be directed to syr.gov/surveillancetech.