LAPD's DFR program logs nearly 9,800 flights in its first year
In its first year, LAPD's DFR program dispatched drones nearly 9,800 times, arriving on scene before officers 73% of the time and freeing up patrol units to respond to other calls 9% of the time. Officers say the added situational awareness helps de-escalate incidents, and drones have helped track suspects in tight alleyways and tunnels and locate a missing child near a freeway overpass at night. LAPD also maintains a public transparency dashboard where anyone can see when and where a drone was flown and for how long.
- New right here at 5:00, the LAPD has been using drones to respond
- to some
- emergency calls for just over a year now, and the department
- says it's already making a big difference.
- Fox 11's Nick Garcia checked in with the LAPD about the
- progress of the program.
- Well, LAPD has fully embraced the use of drone
- technology,
- especially in standoffs and pursuits, but the department
- says transparency is at the core of the drone program.
- They're small but mighty. LAPD drones have
- been in use since last July, increasing response
- times and providing officers with better situational awareness-
- [radio chatter]
- ... before they get to a scene.
- I truly believe having this technology and this tool has been
- extremely beneficial as it relates to a deescalation
- tool and providing resources and
- oversight and knowledge for h- our officers that are
- responding to these calls for service.
- Assistant Chief Emada Tingirides says the drones have been
- dispatched 9,800 times. [siren blaring]
- 73% of the time, they arrive to a scene before
- officers, and 9% of the time they're able to cancel
- patrol officers, freeing them up to respond to the next
- call.
- This is an historical time for the Los Angeles Police Department
- to utilize technology alongside our patrol
- officers to better serve the community.
- Oh, look, a drone.
- The drones have helped track suspects at the end of pursuits, especially
- in areas like tight alleyways or tunnels.
- The LAPD was also able to quickly locate a young child
- who was reported missing.
- We dispatched the drone. Officers were able to go
- overhead and find that young child at
- night near a freeway overpass.
- But the drones have raised privacy concerns.
- People worried the drones are always surveilling.
- LAPD says that's not the case.
- Our drones are not recording. Once they leave
- the dock and they're responding to a radio call, there is
- no recording, uh, of any kind. When that drone
- arrives over scene at that incident, that's when the
- recording begins.
- She says their goal is to increase safety and that the drones
- have done just that. And the LAPD has a public
- online database where anyone can see when and where a drone was
- flown and for how long. We'll have a link to that on our website.
- Just look for the story. In downtown Los Angeles, I'm Nick Garcia,
- Fox
- 11 News.
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