TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — When you call for help, the first responder may not always be a police officer—--it could be a drone. Tucson Police are considering a system where drones may arrive at a scene first and give an officer a better idea of what to expect when they arrive.
It can be tough to get anywhere fast even with lights and sirens.
Tucson Police are considering a system of drones able to get to a scene first.
The city has not selected a drone company yet but this video from a company called Skydio gives you an idea how the system could work.
A call comes into 911.
If a drone operator in a command center decides sending a drone is appropriate, the operators launches a drone from one of four sites around the city and sends it to scout a scene while an officer is still on the way.
TPD Sergeant Beau Wilson says, “We have information that suggests that officers responding lights and sirens the calls get there in the average of three to five minutes, where we're expecting that our drones can get there, depending on distance from the base station, of course, in as little as two.”
The Tucson Fire Department could use the drones too, to get a look at a fire before the fire trucks arrive.
These drones controlled from a command center would be different from the drones TPD already uses. Some officers carry drones in their cars to help with searches and to document crime scenes. Those drones require the drone pilot to be on the scene and have eyes on the drone as it flies.
Law enforcement drones could make some people worry about privacy. Police say they are not for sustained surveillance. They are to fly for emergency calls and that’s all.
Sergeant Wilson says, “They're not up flying around all the time. They live in their base stations until we need them for a specific call for service. When that call comes in, they'll fly out, they will conduct the operation for that call for service and then return to their base station.”
The drone project is still under development so there’s no cost estimate or firm timeline yet, but TPD hopes to launch some of the drones by the end of the year.
