University of Louisiana at Monroe Moves from Guessing to Knowing with Drone Detection & Airspace Intelligence
The University of Louisiana at Monroe uses SkySafe to gain real-time airspace visibility, distinguish authorized university drone flights from unauthorized activity, and support public safety operations with actionable intelligence.
Customer Overview
The University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) serves thousands of students, faculty, staff, and visitors while supporting critical research facilities and healthcare operations across northeast Louisiana. As a university with an active drone program, unmanned aircraft are a routine part of campus operations, making airspace awareness an increasingly important component of campus security.
The Challenge
ULM faced a challenge shared by many colleges and universities. While drones were an important part of teaching and research, the university had no reliable way to distinguish authorized university flights from unauthorized aircraft operating over campus.
Without visibility into its airspace, officers could observe a drone but couldn't identify it, locate its operator, or determine whether it posed a concern. For a campus responsible for protecting research facilities, healthcare operations, and thousands of students, faculty, staff, and visitors, that lack of awareness represented a growing security gap.
Rather than waiting for an incident to occur, ULM chose to proactively implement a drone detection capability that would provide real-time visibility into its airspace.
SkySafe was the only company that really listened to our requirements and worked with us as the project evolved, without hidden surprises down the road.
The Solution
ULM sought a solution that aligned with its grant-funded implementation strategy while remaining simple for officers to use and requiring minimal operational overhead.
SkySafe's cloud-based drone detection and airspace intelligence platform provided real-time visibility into drone activity without requiring the university to deploy or maintain complex infrastructure. Throughout planning and deployment, SkySafe worked closely with ULM to align the implementation with the university's operational objectives. When project requirements evolved from a planned mobile deployment to a fixed installation, the implementation plan was refined while keeping the project on schedule.
Results
Visibility That Improves Decision-Making
Today, ULM has real-time visibility into drone activity across campus. Officers receive alerts directly on their mobile devices, allowing them to quickly assess activity, distinguish authorized university operations from unauthorized flights, and respond with actionable information.
"It's taken us from guessing to knowing. We can now see drone activity, distinguish our authorized university flights from unauthorized ones, and respond with information instead of assumptions." - Mark Johnson
Operational Simplicity
The platform has also reduced the operational burden typically associated with drone detection systems. Because SkySafe manages the underlying technology, officers can focus on public safety rather than maintaining equipment or supporting infrastructure.
The intuitive interface also allows personnel with varying levels of technical experience to confidently use the platform during day-to-day operations.
Supporting Public Safety Operations
ULM has already leveraged SkySafe during a narcotics investigation involving a suspect using a drone for counter-surveillance. The platform provided investigators with actionable airspace intelligence that supported the investigation and demonstrated the operational value of having real-time visibility into drone activity.
Looking Ahead
ULM plans to continue integrating drone detection into everyday public safety operations while expanding collaboration with nearby critical infrastructure partners, including healthcare organizations and other agencies with shared security responsibilities.
Based on its experience, the university also encourages organizations considering drone detection to involve key internal stakeholders early and think beyond individual facilities to regional airspace awareness
"SkySafe gave us eyes on our airspace and the ability to distinguish our authorized university flights from unauthorized drones over campus, with simple technology our officers can actually use and zero maintenance burden on my team. They've been a true partner in public safety, not just a vendor." Mark Johnson
