UNC Chapel Hill Police Drone Detection Success Story

How the university’s police department strengthened airspace awareness and campus security with AirWarden®.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

A Large, Active Campus

The Nation’s First Public University
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a global higher education leader known for innovative teaching and research. Its 760-acre campus is home to a large and active university community.
The university hosts major sporting events, large gatherings, and special events throughout the year. Its 28 intercollegiate sports create large-scale event environments requiring coordinated security. A Level 1 trauma center also operates a robust air care service, with helicopters regularly flying over the area.
760 Acres
Total Campus Area
28
Intercollegiate Sports
Level 1
On-Campus Trauma Center
The Challenge

The Need for Dedicated Drone Detection

Three key factors exposed the limitations of the department’s existing approach, which could not provide a complete, reliable picture of drone activity across campus or indicate which flights might require attention.

Lack of Airspace Awareness

During major events, personnel focused on ground-level activity. The department relied on visual line of sight and lacked resources to continuously monitor the skies.

Postgame Discovery

After a basketball victory over Duke, a colleague identified nine unknown drones operating over the large, densely populated postgame celebration area.

Operational Needs

Beyond large events, monitoring was needed to support air care helicopter operations and help ensure compliance with the university’s drone policy.
THE SOLUTION

Detection for Campus Operations

Reliable visibility across campus without adding complexity for the team.
Visibility and Accuracy
UNC Police Department selected AeroDefense’s AirWarden Remote ID to provide the visibility it needed without adding complexity for its team. Accuracy was a key consideration, particularly the ability to pinpoint the exact locations of the drone and pilot so officers could quickly understand where activity was occurring and respond when needed.
Coverage and Cost
Cost-effectiveness was also an important factor. As a public institution, the university needed a solution that could provide broad coverage while making responsible use of public funds. AirWarden’s minimal equipment requirements allowed the department to install the system on a single, centrally located campus building while providing more than adequate coverage across the entire campus.
Simple Deployment
The department also needed a solution that was simple to deploy and intuitive enough that personnel could quickly learn the platform, allowing it to be confidently handed off to new users when needed.
“AirWarden Remote ID has a very simple setup, requires minimal equipment, and gives us coverage across our entire campus. Cost efficiency and simplicity are the real driving factors that made AeroDefense stand out for us.”
UNC Police Department
RESULTS

The Value of Campus Airspace Awareness

AirWarden Remote ID strengthened UNC Police Department’s campus and major-event security through a clearer, more coordinated understanding of drone activity.
The following are the key results from the UNC Police Department’s use of AirWarden Remote ID:
Real-time visibility into drone activity on and around campus
Faster, more accurate response to unknown drone activity
Visibility into drone activity that could pose a collision risk to university air care operations
Ability to designate trusted drones and focus attention on potential threats
Improved monitoring of university drone policy and TFR compliance
Ability to provide emergency management partners and university leadership with direct access to AirWarden data and reporting
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY

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