Across American cities, a quiet convergence is underway — one that law enforcement is only beginning to reckon with. The falling cost of drone hardware and the rising capability of artificial intelligence are meeting at a threshold where access and autonomy combine in ways that outpace existing legal and technical defenses. The Police Executive Research Forum, a trusted voice in policing circles, is urging municipalities not to wait for a crisis before preparing for one — a rare and telling posture in a field that has historically responded to threats rather than anticipated them.