DJ Smith spent over 30 years in the area of Covert Technical/Tactical Surveillance and recently retired November 1, 2025 from the Virginia State Police as a Senior Technical Surveillance Agent. Following his retirement DJ accepted a position with Amazon global within their SPEAR STT org. on one of their three global red teams. Recently moved over to help build out Amazons global program for drone detection and airspace awareness to improve its security posture as it relates to drone threats.
During his 31 years in law enforcement he specialized in areas such as Title III Intercepts, Video-Audio Clarification, Technical Surveillance Counter Measures (TSCM), Mesh-Node Deployments, Surreptitious Lock Bypass & Safe Penetration including GSA locks & containers, GPS Installs , Technical Response to Hostage/Barricade Situations, Cellular Tracking and Geo-locating (DF), Covert Surreptitious Audio/Video deployments, and sUAS & Counter UAS deployment operations.
In the area of sUAS and Counter UAS Operations:
- Serves as Deputy Director of CUAS for DroneResponders Public Safety UAS Alliance.
- He stood up and ran the Unmanned Aerial & Counter UAS Systems Program for the Virginia State Police.
- Served on the Federal Aviation Administration Counter UAS aviation rule-making committee.
- Currently serves on the DHS NUSTL Blue UAS assessment for Public Safety.
- 2024 Keynote Presenter on CUAS for SLTT at the World Police Summitt in Dubai.
- Virginia Safe and Secure Commonwealth Sub-Panel dealing with UAS/Counter UAS implementation and legislation.
- (SME) on various technologies for the DHS S&T, Law Enforcement Technology Board (SPAWARS Atlantic & Saver program).
- VSP stakeholder on the Mid-Atlantic UAS Partnership group (Google Wing) at Virginia Tech.
- Served on DHS S&T First Responder Robotic Operational System Test (FFROST) assessment & evaluations of sUAS for Public Safety.
- Annual Presenter or Moderator at the Security Summit in Norway, Global Counter UAS Summit in Washington DC, AUVSI Xponential, Commercial UAV Expo, Homeland Security Conference, Global Military and Defense CUAS Conference, and the National Congress on Counter UAS Technology.
- Serves as a technical advisor to several legislative working groups in Washington working on Legislative Carve-outs for SLTT agencies.
- He is also a licensed part 107 pilot and has been flying sUAS for over 15 years.