Is China using drones to spy on South Carolina? Law enforcement leaders are worried

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Two of the state's top law-enforcement leaders are worried China could use donated drones to spy on South Carolina and the U.S.

Republicans in the House of Representatives voiced similar concerns Wednesday in letters sent to the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security to seek information about use of Chinese-made drones.

Drone manufacturer Da Jiang Innovations, a global technology company better known as DJI that's based in Shenzhen, China, has donated 100 drones to 44 police and fire agencies across the U.S. that have expressed interest in using drones to manage aspects of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement from DJI.

Six drones have gone to agencies in South Carolina, according to DJI.

Minutes from the state's Law Enforcement Training Council meeting last month show state Attorney General Alan Wilson and State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel voicing concerns over those drones. Keel and Wilson agreed that they do not want agencies in South Carolina to use them because of concerns that "all information recorded by these drones would be reported to China," as the meeting's minutes put it.

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"Attorney General Wilson stated that he would be interested in knowing what agencies in SC have received these drones so a conversation can be had in regard to concerns," the minutes read.

Robert Kittle, a spokesperson for Wilson, said the AG's office still does not know which agencies received the drones. He said the state Police Chiefs Association and Sheriffs Association are trying to find out.

"The Attorney General’s concerns are simple," Kittle said in an email to The Greenville News on Wednesday. "A communist government with a long history of cheating, lying, covering up and seeking to hurt the US is now giving free drones to LE agencies. It is pretty self-explanatory."

Jarrod Bruder, director of the state Sheriffs Association, said he's heard from several agencies that already use DJI drones. The Georgetown County Sheriff's Office is one agency that received a DJI drone during the pandemic, Bruder said.

"That particular provider is the premiere provider anyway," he said of DJI.

The letters sent by House Republicans include comments about security concerns specifically with DJI drones. The letters urge federal investigators to inform the members of Congress about steps being taken to monitor the newly donated drones.

"Although federal law enforcement agencies have warned of potential information security concerns with DJI drones, it is not clear whether state and local law enforcement agencies are fully aware of these issues," the Wednesday letter states.

Wednesday afternoon, Wilson, South Carolina's attorney general, released a statement about his efforts to urge Congress to investigate China's potential role in the spread of COVID-19. He said he helped lead a coalition of 14 states to develop a plan to hold the Communist Party of China responsible for the coronavirus pandemic.

“We all need to work together to find out what the Chinese government knew, when they knew it, and what our options are to hold them accountable,” Wilson said in his office's press release.

Regarding the drones, Keel said he had not heard of the DJI donations before Wilson brought it up, according to the minutes from last month's training council meeting.

"Chief Keel stated that he had not heard anything or knew of any agencies using these drones. He also stated that he would not accept one because his concern would be that all information recorded by these drones would be reported to China," the minutes read.

DJI is the world's largest drone manufacturer. The company announced an effort to donate drones to the U.S. as part of its disaster relief program. South Carolina is one of 22 states that have received drones through the program, according to DJI.

DJI has not identified the recipients of its drones. Company officials did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Wednesday.

"The battle against COVID-19 is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, but we hope this early effort can illuminate one way for America’s frontline responders to protect the public, keep themselves safe and hopefully save lives," DJI's senior director of public safety integration, Romeo Durscher, said in written statement on April 1.

The Greenville County Sheriff's Office has six DJI drones used for search and rescue operations, arson investigations and other operations where aerial coverage is necessary, said Lt. Ryan Flood, a spokesperson. The agency is hoping to expand its fleet of drones but has not received any newly donated drones from DJI, he said.

The Anderson County Sheriff's Office has four DJI drones of its own but none newly donated by DJI. The devices are used for many reasons, including searches for runaway children, missing elderly persons and fleeing suspects, said spokesperson Sgt. J.T. Foster.

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The Greenville Police Department applied to receive a drone from DJI through its disaster relief program but was not one of the South Carolina agencies selected, said Lt. Alia Paramore, a police department spokesperson. The police department currently has six certified pilots and one drone, a DJI device that the agency obtained in April 2019, she said.

"This is a new program for our organization, and we anticipate building our UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) fleet to meet the needs of the department and the City of Greenville," Paramore said in an email.

The Pickens County Sheriff's Office does not have a drone, though Sheriff Rick Clark supports their use and has a personally owned drone that he has used on at least one missing person case, Chief Deputy Chad Brooks said.

Follow Daniel J. Gross on Twitter: @danieljgross.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Coronavirus: DJI drones donated by China worry law enforcement leaders