The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) deploys two uncrewed aerial systems — drones — as part of its Drone as First Responder program. Docked on rooftops in Silver Spring and Wheaton, they are dispatched to catch assailants, respond to alarms and investigate gunshots, among other duties.

From the onset of the program in October 2023 through September 2024, MCPD drones have responded to more than 1,350 911 and police service calls, and in 214 cases, the response eliminated the need for a patrol unit.

Kudos to MCPD for leveraging drones to, as its website says, “improve response times, increase efficiency,” deescalate incidents and get real-time information to officers. Drones also prevent officer and citizen injuries and serve as a force multiplier.

MCPD’s choice of drone — made by a Chinese company called DJI — is another matter altogether. For all the good the drones are doing, MCPD is putting our people, state and nation at risk by using what doubles as a spy tool of the People’s Republic of China.

In January, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a memorandum reaffirming that Chinese-made drones “continue to pose a significant risk to critical infrastructure and U.S. national security.” In the same month, the Department of Defense reaffirmed that DJI is a Chinese military company.

Even within the 1.2 nautical-mile range of MCPD’s drones, from Silver Spring alone the Chinese could have eyes on the metro station, the headquarters of United Therapeutics, Holy Cross Hospital, and many schools, electrical substations and bridges. With a little more range, they could peer over the National Institutes of Health, Lockheed Martin headquarters, and a campus of the Food and Drug Administration.

MCPD isn’t alone. Law enforcement in Baltimore, Prince George’s County, Frederick and a dozen other Maryland jurisdictions fly DJI drones. Annapolis police may soon follow suit.

The Chinese threat to our state — and nation — is real. Drones are part of a multipronged offensive against the West that includes malware and ransomware, deep-cover operations, extortion, document theft, and signals interception. It’s part of Beijing’s plan for global economic, military and political dominance.

Beijing subsidizes the cost of drones, so the choice is easy between a Chinese system and an American one at twice the price. According to a 2017 report from the Los Angeles office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “DJI aggressively dropped its prices 70 percent” in 2015 alone, stifling competition and driving rivals out of business.

Buyer beware. Drones aren’t limited to visual cameras. They can carry a wide range of payloads, including mapping technology, infrared cameras and microphones. Powerful zoom functions grab details of our infrastructure.

The risk isn’t theoretical — system vulnerabilities have been identified. Spies in China may be able to access drones in Maryland through backdoors. Evidence suggests that our data is in the hands of the Chinese.

Some law enforcement departments claim to have a solution — software that prevents the remote transmission of drone data. But it’s inconceivable that DJI would turn over its complete source code — millions of lines — to ensure that the software is airtight.

Some departments decry the quality of Western-made drones. One of this article’s authors, however, helped develop the drone program for Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and found that the U.S. drones that MPD acquired have functioned well and to purpose. If they work well in the sensitive airspace above D.C., they will work anywhere.

Federal authorities have been wary of Chinese drones for years, with many agencies banning them. Last February, Congress passed the American Security Drone Act, which prohibits federal agencies from using Chinese drones. Several states have similar legislation.

Drones can be a boon to our public safety servants. Maryland needs a commonsense law that rids our skies of aerial spies and replaces them with drones made in America or by allies.

A good guide is Arkansas legislation that gives police four years to swap drones. Maryland should offer grants to replace Chinese drones. Further, the federal government could provide financial incentives to U.S.-based companies to create the gold standard for drones for public safety and critical infrastructure.

Marylanders don’t want to fund the Chinese military or put drones near our nation’s capital. With shrewd investments and commonsense policies, we can be both safe and secure.

Dan Harrington is a retired captain of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department and a licensed drone pilot. Michael Gips is a Maryland-based security professional, attorney and writer.