Nuts and Bolts: How to Launch Your Drone Program

Sarah Estill is a Social Science Analyst at the USDOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). Her portfolio includes Unmanned Aerial Systems, homeland security, and technology in law enforcement. She is a graduate of St. Olaf College and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Michael O'Shea is a Program Manager for the FAA's UAS Integration Office's, Safety & Integration Division where he serves as liaison, facilitator and resource for both public and civil unmanned aircraft integration efforts. Before joining the UAS Integration Office, Mr. O'Shea was a program manager for 17 years in the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Science and Technology, where he managed the law enforcement aviation technologies program among other duties. As part of his duties at DOJ Mr. O'Shea sat on the Small UAS (Part 107) and Remote Tracking/ID Aviation Rule Making Committees and was the co-author of the MOU between the FAA and DOJ that initiated public safety COAs for UAS. Prior to working at DOJ, Mr. O'Shea spent almost 15 years as a uniformed law enforcement officer.  Mr. O'Shea is a graduate of Baker University (Kansas) with a degree in Business and Marketing. Mr. O'Shea holds a FAA Light-Sport Pilot Certificate (Fixed Wing, Gyroplanes and Powered Parachutes) and a Remote Pilot Certificate.  

Captain Vern Sallee is a 25 year veteran of the Chula Vista Police Department. In December 2014, he was promoted to captain where he commanded the Support Operations division and subsequently the Investigations division. In May 2018 he was placed in command of the Patrol Operations division and is second in command to the Chief of Police. Captain Sallee established CVPD's drone program in January 2016 and since October 2018, Captain Sallee has led a significant expansion CVPD's UAS program known as Drone as a First Responder (DFR) as part of the Federal Aviation Administration's UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP).  CVPD's groundbreaking DFR program has been recognized nationally as a revolutionary public safety model which provides real-time video and decision quality data to officers on routine calls for service. Captain Sallee is a subject matter expert with the Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS Office) UAS Working group, to help develop guidance for police agencies to effectively use UAS technology to enhance public safety, while also protecting the public from the malicious use of UAS.  He has also represented CVPD as a presenter and subject matter expert on police use of drones at the FBIAA national conference, the IACP technology conference, the IACP national conference and numerous other UAS and public safety forums. Captain Sallee has a Master of Science Degree in Administrative Studies with a criminal justice emphasis from Missouri State University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from San Diego State University. He is a graduate of the Los Angeles Police Department Leadership Program, California P.O.S.T. Command College (Class 53) and the FBI National Academy (Class 270). He has been published in Police Chief Magazine and is a former adjunct community college instructor; having taught police ethics, forensic photography and police community relations. Captain Sallee plans to retire from CVPD on October 2, 2020 and has accepted a job as the Axon Air Lead Strategist.