About two dozen law enforcement agencies nationwide have developed a specialized crime-fighting program that allows them to respond automatically to 911 calls with drone-based aerial surveillance.  Dubbed “Drone First Responder,” the program sends a drone to a prospective crime scene in advance of arriving patrol officers, allowing them to size up the situation and adapt their police tactics accordingly.  First pioneered by the police department in Chula Vista, California back in 2019, DFR allows public safety agencies to respond more quickly to emergencies while reducing their operational costs and minimizing the risk of casualties to responders and suspects alike.

Last week, the police and fire departments of Irvine, California became the latest members of the widening DFR “fraternity.”  The Irvine police department has maintained an active drone program since 2019, but to date has focused its missions on search-and-rescue, crime and accident scene analysis and wildlife conservation activities. The program has grown exponentially since then, from just 350 missions the first year to nearly 1,700 in 2022.

But DFR, which focuses on emerging crime scenarios, is a new departure.  The pilot program, which begins this month, will pre-position drones on two tall buildings in down Irvine ready to deploy on a moment’s notice.  Once a 911 call is received, the drone will be sent to the prospective crime scene and begin aerial surveillance, monitored remotely at department headquarters.  A live feed can be sent to arriving officers and detectives to allow them to determine the best approach to the incident.

The IPD is conducting the DFR’s pilot implementation in partnership with Flying Lion, the drone services company that has assisted police departments all over the country to implement their own DFR program.  Most of these programs are being implemented in southern California, based on the pioneering Chula Vista experience, but in 2021-2022, police departments in Worcester, MA and Brookhaven, GA began experimenting with DFR programs.  In recent weeks departments in  Hackensack, New Jersey and Montgomery County, Maryland, have also begun implementing their own programs

IPD officials say they are sensitive to community concerns that the new DFR program, like its current drone activities, could infringe on citizen privacy rights.  The department already has strict protocols in place that govern the use of drones which expressly forbid their use in routine police patrolling or surveillance activities.

In anticipation of additional concerns that might arise with the DFR program, the IPD plans to set up an online citizen dashboard that will share information on all drone missions, including their number and location, timing and purpose, and outcome, including arrest data.

IPD officials say the initial cost of the DFR program is about $100,000, with funding from a pre-existing public safety budget of the Irvine fire department, which will share access to the DFR program, as needed.  If the initial pilot is successful, the department plans to make the DFR program full-time and to seek additional funding for a larger drone fleet.

“If we are able to decrease our response times by having this tool available and provide live updates to responding officers, that data would be [one metric] to show the program is working,” IPD spokesperson Sgt. Karie Davies told the Orange County Register last month.  “Other measurables will come to light as the program progresses,” he added.

In  addition to Flying Lion, a number of other drone services companies, including New York-based Aerodome, have recently introduced their own DFR programs for special use by the nation’s law enforcement departments.  Aerodome’s program allows for continuous BVLOS flights over longer distances, especially in remote rural areas with limited police resources.  Currently, DFR programs require remote piloting and visual observation of all drone flights.  The new technology will require additional FAA regulatory approval, based on the demonstrated safety and operational effectiveness of existing DFR programs.