Rules laid out for domestic drone use

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is acknowledging that the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal law enforcement agencies are likely to increase use of unmanned aerial drones in the United States.

The department on Friday issued its first written guidelines for domestic drone use and emphasized the need to respect civil and constitutional rights.

The unmanned aircraft already have been used in kidnapping, drug and fugitive cases, as well as search-and-rescue operations, the department said. They also can be operated relatively cheaply.

The five-page policy document comes 19 months after the agency’s inspector general recommended drone-specific policies that consider privacy rights. That report said unmanned drones raised greater privacy concerns than pilot-operated aircraft because they can fly closer to homes and operate for days at a time.