US Cops Get Green Light to "Kill" Drones – Is Canada Next?

By [Colonel (ret) Bernie Derbach, KR Droneworks: 15 December 2025]

The rules of engagement for drones in North America just shifted dramatically. While hobbyists and commercial pilots have been focused on staying compliant with registration and flight path rules, a massive legislative change in the United States is about to deputize thousands of local officers with the power to take drones down.

A recent report from CUAS Hub highlights a pivotal inclusion in the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. For the first time, "direct action" authority against threatening drones—previously the exclusive domain of federal heavyweights like the FBI or DHS—is being expanded to state and local law enforcement.

Here is what is happening south of the border, and why Canadian drone pilots and security experts should be paying close attention.

The US Shift: From "Observe" to "Mitigate"

For years, local police in the US (and Canada) have been in a bind. If a drone was spying on a stadium, hovering over a prison, or interfering with a crime scene, the most a local cop could usually do was try to find the pilot on the ground. They generally lacked the legal authority—and the technology—to jam the signal or disable the aircraft physically.

The SAFER SKIES Act, incorporated into the NDAA, changes that. It allows trained State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) law enforcement agencies to:

• Detect and Track: Use sophisticated scanners to locate drones and pilots.

• Mitigate: This is the big one. It grants the legal authority to disrupt, disable, or seize drones that pose a "credible threat" to safety in specific zones like airports, large public events, and prisons.

This authority comes with strings attached—officers need federal certification and must use approved tech—but it marks the end of the era where local police were helpless against bad actors in the sky.

The Canadian Reality: A Different Airspace

So, could we see the Toronto Police or the OPP jamming drones tomorrow? Not likely.

In Canada, the legal landscape for Counter-UAS (C-UAS) is far stricter and much more centralized. The primary hurdle isn't just aviation law; it's the Radiocommunication Act.

In Canada, "jamming" devices—which sever the link between a drone and its controller—are largely prohibited. They are illegal to sell, import, or use. Unlike the new US model, which delegates this power down to the local sheriff, Canada keeps this power locked at the federal level.

Currently, the RCMP holds a specific Ministerial Exemption allowing them to use C-UAS technology for national security, VIP protection, and major events. Similarly, Correctional Service Canada (CSC) has been working with federal partners to deploy detection and mitigation tech at prisons to stop contraband deliveries.

But for your average municipal police force? They generally do not have the authority to pull a "trigger" on a drone jammer. Their role is typically limited to detecting the drone and locating the pilot to lay charges under the Canadian Aviation Regulations (which can be hefty—up to $25,000 for corporations).

Is a Canadian Crackdown Coming?

While we might not see a "SAFER SKIES" act in Parliament tomorrow, the winds are shifting. Canada often mirrors US security trends, albeit more slowly and cautiously.

We are already seeing the groundwork being laid:

1. Urban Testing: The Department of National Defence and the RCMP have been running "Sandbox" trials in Ottawa (under the IDEaS program), testing how drone detection and neutralization tech works in dense city environments.

2. The Contraband Crisis: Prisons in Canada are facing a massive influx of drone-delivered drugs and weapons. The pressure to give correctional officers and local supporting police more direct tools is mounting.

3. Critical Infrastructure: As drones become cheaper and more capable, the risk to airports and power grids grows. The current model of "call the RCMP and wait" may soon be seen as too slow for a fast-moving drone threat.

The Verdict

The US has decided that the drone threat is widespread enough to require a decentralized response—giving local cops the keys to the castle. Canada is sticking to its tradition of "Peace, Order, and Good Government"—keeping high-tech weaponry and jamming authority centralized in federal hands.

However, as the technology becomes standard in the US, expect Canadian law enforcement to lobby hard for similar powers. We likely won't see local police shooting down drones this year, but a specialized, federally-approved "Drone Response Unit" for major Canadian cities could be the middle ground we see in the near future.

Stay tuned to this blog for updates on Canadian drone regulations and security news.