Pilot program using drones helps Denver police respond to emergency calls

The Denver Police Department is crediting a new drone program with helping reduce wait times and making its response to emergency calls more effective.

The pilot program using Drone as First Responder (DFR) technology launched in October, and the department said that in 95% of the missions the pilots have been able to provide critical information to officers on the ground.

Two pilots monitor incoming service calls and determine if the drone could help responding officers. Denver police say its two DFR drones have been deployed to 215 service calls, including robberies, burglaries, assaults, fights, weapons-related offenses, narcotics reports and more.

Officials said that over 80% of the time, the drone is the first to arrive at the scene, and it has helped find suspects, clear calls that don't need an officer, and reduce service wait times.

"The DFR drones provide an advantageous view from above, allowing the pilots to determine whether a subject is armed or is attempting to evade or hide from officers, so we can help prevent officers from walking into a dangerous situation," said Denver Police DFR team member Sgt. Brent Kohls.

Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said, "Leveraging emerging technologies like Drone as First Responder platforms will help us to achieve quicker response times, along with officer hiring and retention strategies and data-based officer deployment strategies."

The department said that the program isn't used as a passive surveillance system and is only utilized for emergency calls as a remote first responder. Pilots launch the drone and monitor the flight by keeping the camera angled at the horizon until it arrives at the scene. Then they can position the drone and its camera to check out the scene and relay information back to dispatchers and officers.

DPD reports that it is developing a dashboard to share information on drone flights and flight paths with the public.

Authorities said DFR is a zero-dollar program and the initial contract lasts through March 2026.

The department said it has also signed a contract for a Flock Aerodome platform, but that it will not use the automated license plate reader capability during the pilot program. Officials have not yet determined a timeframe for when that program will begin.