Police Drones Take Flight in Montgomery County, Expanding First Responder Program

Montgomery County, Maryland, is set to double its pioneering drone first responder program in the coming months, according to The Washington Post. The program, which has already surpassed 1,000 flights, uses drones to respond to 911 calls within seconds, often arriving at scenes before ground units.

Rapid Response and Expanded Coverage

The Montgomery County Police Department currently operates two responder drones, Raven 1 and Raven 2, stationed atop high-rises in Silver Spring and Wheaton. These drones can be airborne within 15 seconds of a call, traveling at 36 mph and reaching incident scenes in about a minute on average.

County Executive Marc Elrich (D) expressed enthusiasm for the program’s expansion, stating, “They really have made a difference for us. We’re happy to be expanding.”

How the Program Works

The drone operations are coordinated from a control room in Rockville, where officers monitor 911 calls and dispatch drones when appropriate. The drones, equipped with high-zoom video cameras, can provide real-time footage to ground officers’ devices.

Capt. Jason Cokinos, supervisor of Montgomery’s drone responder operations, emphasized the program’s efficiency: “The name of the game is speed.”

Expanding Reach and Capabilities

Plans are underway to extend drone coverage to central Bethesda and Gaithersburg in the next two months. In Gaithersburg, drones will have an extended range of up to three miles in any direction, compared to the line-of-sight limitations in other areas.

Elrich has expressed interest in further expansions, including:

• Adding drones in Germantown and White Oak areas
• Deploying second units in busy areas like Silver Spring
• Introducing faster drones capable of traveling at 100 mph to track suspects in vehicles

Privacy Concerns and Safeguards

The program has implemented several measures to address privacy concerns:

• Cameras are pointed downward only when arriving at a scene
• Drones are not used for routine patrols or to monitor public protests
• Facial recognition software and audio recordings are prohibited

Jay Stanley, a privacy expert at the ACLU, while applauding these restrictions, cautioned against the potential for “widespread aerial surveillance.”

DroneXL’s Take

The expansion of Montgomery County’s drone first responder program represents a significant step forward in integrating unmanned aerial vehicles into law enforcement operations. This program showcases the potential of drones to enhance public safety while maintaining a balance with privacy concerns.

As more cities and counties adopt similar programs, it’s crucial to monitor their effectiveness and impact on both crime prevention and civil liberties. The success of Montgomery County’s approach could serve as a model for other jurisdictions looking to implement drone technology in their public safety strategies.

At DroneXL, we’ve been following the development of police drone programs closely. The rapid adoption of this technology underscores the growing recognition of drones as valuable tools in emergency response and law enforcement. As these programs evolve, it will be essential to continue the dialogue between law enforcement agencies, privacy advocates, and the communities they serve to ensure responsible and effective use of drone technology.