New first-responder drones for two US police departments
Police in Oxnard, California, and Hempstead, New York, will expand their drone-as-first-responder (DFR) programs this year
California’s Oxnard Police Department (OPD) has announced plans to expand its own drone program, following the authorization of a five-year, US$2 million contract with Brinc Drones by the City Council.
New drone units will be rolled out in the coming months, with the aim of improving the city’s DFR offering.
According to Jason Benites, Chief of the OPD, in a statement to the Ventura County Star news outlet, Brinc is currently constructing a trio of drones and charging stations for the program.
The department plans to locate one charging station in the south of the city, one in the north, and one in the downtown (central) area. The locations were chosen based on population density, the number of calls, and crime frequency. West Oxnard will not be covered by drones under the current arrangement.
Flock provides DFR systems to Hempstead, New York
Hempstead Police Department in the US state of New York has also announced plans to deploy a new DFR system later this year.
The system, Flock Safety’s Aerodrome DFR solution, will employ automated battery-swapping docks located across Hempstead, as well as drones capable of responding to emergency incidents within a four-mile (6.4km) radius.
The drones are also expected to improve officer safety, reduce response times, and allow the department to de-escalate situations more rapidly.
Elsewhere, the Rwanda National Police (RNP) has announced plans to use drones for traffic monitoring.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.