The largest town in Rockland County, NY, is Ramapo. Covering 61.9 square miles with a population of 148,919, Ramapo is the second most populous town in the state of New York. Sworn to protect and serve the residents of Ramapo is the Town of Ramapo Police Department (RPD). Led by Chief Daniel Hyman, the RPD has 120 sworn police officers and 25 civilian personnel. For a town as large as Ramapo, this is a considerably small police department.

On Wednesday, February 19, 2025, the RPD announced that they were implementing 21st-century policing technology to act as a force multiplier for the officers serving the town of Ramapo. This force multiplier, called the Raptor Unit, is part of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiative called the Drones as First Responder (DFR) program. Thousands of police departments throughout the United States rely on drone technology. Several of these towns and cities have become test sites for official DFR programs, which provide broader integration of emergency drone capabilities.

For Rockland County, Ramapo is the first of the county’s five towns to implement a drone program of any sort. Captain Kevin Lee of the RPD explained that being a part of a sanctioned FAA initiative is what makes this program particularly exciting and unique. The most unique aspect of the RPD DFR program is the type of drones they will be using. Typically, a police drone department relies on Part 107 licensed police officers keeping drones in the trunk of a police vehicle. If a call comes in that would require the use of a drone, the officer must first drive to the designated site, then unpack and launch the drone.

The RPD, however, is utilizing a docking system by drone technology provider Paladin. Founded by Columbus, OH native Divy Shrivastava in 2017, Paladin Drone is now based in Houston, TX. Around the time Divy began studying engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, a close friend’s home burned down. Shortly thereafter, a fire destroyed a building at Berkeley. Both of these events had a great impact on Divy, inspiring him to start Paladin. As stated on the company website, Divy’s goal was to develop a company that could “send autonomous drones to 911 calls to give first responders a live overhead view of an emergency before they arrive, helping increase situational awareness, decrease response times, and save lives.”

Working with the FAA, Paladin has simplified the process for police departments looking to use drones. The system they have developed allows officers to use FAA-approved BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone applications. Paladin supplies police departments with everything they need to have a successful DFR program. This includes either DJI or Knighthawk drones, Paladin’s own LTE drone operation range extension system, Paladin’s Watchtower command station, a drone docking station, and all the FAA training and waivers needed.

With this system, rather than launching a drone from a police vehicle after reaching the call site, a drone is autonomously launched from one of the docking stations at the time of the call. It is monitored by an officer within police headquarters through the Watchtower. The drone provides instant situational awareness to officers, who can then make informed decisions rapidly. This, in turn, helps officers protect citizens while keeping themselves out of harm’s way.

The RPD has already found great success with the DFR program. It launched a drone remotely from a docking station to aid in the apprehension of a larceny suspect within the first week of the program. The department also experimented with using the drones to monitor school buses during high-traffic times, ensuring that all students arrive safely at school. “Our top priority is the safety of our officers and the community,” said Chief Hyman. “With the DFR program, we now have the ability to gather essential information quickly and efficiently, which will greatly improve our response in emergency situations.

This technology will not only enhance our operational capacity but will also lead to better, more informed decision-making in the field.” By integrating autonomous drones into everyday policing, the RPD is setting a new standard for efficiency, situational awareness, and response times. As other communities watch and learn from Ramapo’s success, the hope is that this innovative approach will become a model for law enforcement across the country, ultimately leading to safer communities and more effective policing in the 21st century.

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