Wilmington PD Expands DJI Drone Fleet

The Wilmington Police Department is quietly building one of the more capable local police drone programs in North Carolina, and this week it gave WWAY3 a closer look at the aircraft helping officers respond faster and safer.

Front and center was the Avata, a compact FPV that looks more like something from a racing league than a patrol vehicle.

Small, ducted, and agile, the Avata carries a super wide 4K camera and can slip through tight indoor spaces where larger aircraft simply cannot go. For building searches and barricaded subject calls, that agility matters.

But the Avata is only one piece of Wilmington PD’s airborne toolbox.

A Fleet Built Around DJI

Most of the department’s fleet is composed of the Avata, the Matrice 4TD, and the Mavic 3, along with non DJI tethered systems used for persistent overwatch.

That mix tells you something important. This is not a one drone solution. It is a layered approach.

The Avata handles close quarters work. Officers can fly it inside warehouses, commercial buildings, or homes to clear rooms remotely before stepping in.

The ducted prop design adds a layer of protection for both the drone and its surroundings, which is critical when flying indoors around walls, wires, and door frames.

The Matrice 4TD, on the other hand, is built for enterprise operations. It brings thermal imaging into play, allowing officers to locate suspects hiding in wooded areas, track fleeing individuals at night, or assist in search and rescue missions when visibility drops.

Thermal is not just a feature. In real world policing, it is often the difference between guessing and knowing.

Then there is the Mavic 3. Lightweight, fast to deploy, and equipped with a high quality camera, it fills the rapid response role. If officers need immediate aerial perspective at a crash scene, perimeter setup, or outdoor crime scene, the Mavic 3 can be airborne in minutes.

The non DJI tethered UAVs add another capability altogether. These systems can remain airborne for extended periods because they are powered from the ground.

Think of them as temporary aerial light poles, providing steady overhead video for crowd monitoring, large events, or critical incidents where maintaining situational awareness is essential.

Training for Real Calls

Corporal Brendan McInerney, who oversees the department’s traffic unit, explained that much of the recent activity has focused on hands on training. Officers are practicing flights, working through technical challenges, and learning how each platform behaves in different conditions.

That matters.

This gadgets are incredibly capable, but they are still tools. If a connection drops, a sensor glitches, or a pilot hesitates during a high stress call, the advantage disappears quickly.

Training in controlled environments allows officers to work out those kinks before facing real world pressure.

It also standardizes response. When multiple pilots operate the same fleet, consistency becomes key. A Matrice pilot needs to know exactly how thermal contrast behaves at night. An Avata pilot needs to understand how the drone handles in tight hallways. Repetition builds confidence.

Proven in the Field

The technology has already delivered results. During the evacuation at Independence Mall around Christmas, They were used to track four suspects who fled the scene by vehicle and on foot. From the air, officers could monitor movements in real time and coordinate ground units more effectively.

Beyond enforcement, Wilmington PD is using them for search and rescue, missing persons cases, outdoor crime scenes, and even fire response. Thermal cameras can help identify hotspots through smoke, guiding firefighters toward the source of a blaze faster and with less guesswork.

This broader use case is becoming common across U.S. law enforcement agencies. They are no longer niche gadgets. They are force multipliers.

The Next Step: Drone First Response

Looking ahead, the department hopes to implement a drone as first response program. The idea is simple but powerful. Station UAVs strategically so they can deploy automatically to certain calls, arriving before officers on scene and streaming live video back to dispatch.

That early intelligence can change everything. Officers could know whether a suspect is armed, how many people are involved, or whether a scene is stable before they even step out of their vehicles.

For Wilmington PD, the message is clear. They will not replace officers. They are extending their reach, improving safety, and adding visibility in situations where uncertainty can be dangerous.

As more departments standardize around platforms like the Avata, Matrice 4TD, and Mavic 3, DJI continues to dominate the public safety conversation. The hardware is mature, the sensors are proven, and the use cases keep expanding.

DroneXL’s Take

Wilmington PD’s fleet composition makes strategic sense. Avata for interiors, Matrice 4TD for thermal and advanced missions, Mavic 3 for rapid deployment, and tethered drones for persistent overwatch. It is a practical blend of agility, endurance, and sensor capability.

The real story, however, is not the hardware. It is the operational model. If the department successfully launches a drone first response program, that will be the true leap forward. Hardware gets attention. Deployment strategy wins outcomes.

Public safety agencies that treat UAVs as integrated systems rather than occasional accessories are the ones setting the pace. Wilmington appears to be moving in that direction.

Photo credit: DJI, WWAY TV3.