Greenville Expands Drone Ops With Flock Safety Push

Drones are no longer a novelty in Greenville, Mississippi. They are a working tool, already woven into search efforts and emergency response.

This week, city leaders approved new funding that quietly but meaningfully expands those capabilities, adding extra batteries and a second drone controller to the Greenville Public Safety drone program, as FOX17 reports.

That might sound small on paper, but in real world operations it matters. A lot.

Drone team commander Ryan Klackle called the upgrade a turning point for both the department and the community.

Extra batteries mean longer missions with fewer interruptions, especially as older batteries begin to lose capacity over time. Instead of grounding the aircraft mid operation, teams can rotate power and stay airborne when minutes matter.

The second controller unlocks another level of efficiency. Greenville Director of Public Safety Brian Blomstrom explained that it allows one operator to focus purely on flying while another monitors the live video feed.

That division of labor improves situational awareness and reduces workload, which is critical during fast moving incidents.

As Greenville’s population continues to grow, officials say these upgrades help the department scale its response without adding friction.

Drones join Flock Safety’s growing ecosystem

These drone upgrades are also part of something much bigger. Greenville recently launched Safe City Greenville, a citywide public safety initiative built around Flock Safety technology.

Flock Safety cameras have already been active across the city for months, and police say they have contributed to numerous arrests. Now drones are being added as another layer, designed to arrive over a scene before officers do.

Police Chief Marcus Turner described the drones as one element of the Flock system that allows officers to survey an area immediately after an incident is reported. Instead of driving blind into a situation, officers can see what is happening in real time, which improves both safety and decision making.

The system integrates license plate readers, audio detection, high definition PTZ cameras, mobile security trailers, and drones into a single interface. According to Flock Safety representative Paris Labella, all data remains owned by the city and is automatically deleted after 30 days unless it becomes part of an investigation.

That focus on privacy and transparency was emphasized repeatedly during the launch event at City Hall.

Training, trust, and community buy in

Technology alone does not run itself. Greenville plans to certify more officers and even dispatchers to operate the drones, including control from the dispatch console. The goal is coverage without bottlenecks, so the city is not dependent on a small group of pilots.

Community reaction so far appears cautiously supportive. Residents interviewed said they are fine with drones and cameras as long as they are used responsibly and focused on reducing crime, not hovering aimlessly.

Mayor Errick D. Simmons framed Safe City Greenville as both a public safety and economic development strategy. Safer neighborhoods attract businesses, investment, and long term growth. The initiative also includes a Community Camera Program that allows residents and businesses to voluntarily register their cameras, without granting police live access.

In short, Greenville is betting that smarter tools, paired with community cooperation, can move the needle.

DroneXL’s Take

This is how drone programs quietly mature. Not with flashy aircraft reveals, but with batteries, controllers, training, and integration into a broader system.

Greenville is not just flying drones. It is building an ecosystem where drones become a routine first responder, feeding information into a unified platform.

If the city follows through on training, transparency, and disciplined use, this is the kind of incremental upgrade that actually changes outcomes on the ground.

Photo credit: Flock