Ignorance is NO Bliss: Public Perception of Safety in a Drone-assisted Police Operation

The use of drones in public safety operations offers police departments potential benefits such as safety and efficiency. However, rarely considered are the perspectives of the public who are affected by the usage of drone in police operations. Ensuring and enhancing the sense of public safety is a primary goal of the police department. Therefore, public safety agencies and drone designers should consider the perception of bystanders at police operations and the broader society to ensure the fulfilment their primary purpose and maximizing drones’ potential. This paper examines the factors that affect the public perception of safety during a field trial involving 80 test participants. Analysis of the group interviews reveal that unknowns are the main trigger of the sense of insecurity, including unknowns of drones’ identity, purpose and usefulness. We found the public feels safer when the drones play an active role in delivering knowledge rather than passive role of data collection. Our findings highlight key design considerations for future drone-human interactions, providing insights into specific interaction features aimed at enhancing public perceptions of safety. We discuss the social and design implications to inform the public in solving the sense of insecurity mainly induced by a lack of knowledge.