Appeals court rules against Baltimore Police Department aerial surveillance program

A federal appeals court on Thursday said that a previous aerial surveillance program operated by the Baltimore Police Department was unconstitutional, ordering city law enforcement to stop using data collected from the since-ended program.

Writing for the majority, the chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Roger Gregory, said that the use of data collected from the Aerial Investigation Research (AIR) program launched in early May 2020 amounted to a “warrantless operation” and search in violation of the Fourth Amendment.

The case erupted from a lawsuit initially filed in Maryland District Court last April by the ACLU on behalf of Leaders of A Beautiful Struggle, a grassroots think tank in Baltimore advancing the interests of Black community members.