Overview
- Lawmakers added $564,500 in the 2026–27 budget, bringing Florida’s two‑year investment in the Campus Guardian Angel program to more than $1.1 million.
- The system is already in use at selected Florida campuses and part of pilots in Georgia and Colorado, with company materials saying each school can house 30 to 60 ceiling‑mounted units.
- Company demonstrations and promotional material describe drones with flashing lights, live cameras, a speaker, a nonlethal pepper‑spray device and a capability to ram targets at speeds the firm says reach 60–70 mph.
- Campus Guardian Angel says drones are remotely piloted by staff that include former military and law‑enforcement operators and that the company is working with the University of Florida on an independent timing study.
- Safety and oversight advocates say the technology has not been tested in a real active‑shooter incident and warn of risks including misidentification of fleeing students or officers, privacy gaps, and unclear procurement and monitoring rules.