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First Responders

Police, fire, and search-and-rescue teams putting drones to work when minutes matter.

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Medford Drone Catches Drive-By Shooter at Walmart
Walmart

Medford Drone Catches Drive-By Shooter at Walmart

A man suspected of firing multiple rounds into a Medford apartment complex was arrested without incident Tuesday morning. A drone spotted him first. It’s a clean, quiet example of police drone work done exactly right. From Swing Lane to the Walmart Parking Lot The shooting happened in the early hours of March 4 at an…

Overhead black-and-white view of a DJI Phantom quadcopter surrounded by folding DJI Mavic drones and other multirotors arranged on a white surface
Skydio

Gilroy Greenlights Drone as First Responder Pilot

The Gilroy City Council just approved its first Drone as First Responder program. The city gets the whole first year for free, as KSBW reported. That’s not a minor detail. That’s the kind of low-stakes entry point that gets hesitant councils off the fence. From “After Officers” to “Before Officers” Gilroy’s existing drone program has…

H.R. 7525: Rep. Burlison's Counter Drone Bill Pushes to Give Local Police Permanent C-UAS Powers
Police

H.R. 7525: Rep. Burlison’s Counter Drone Bill Pushes to Give Local Police Permanent C-UAS Powers

Representative Eric Burlison (R-MO) has introduced H.R. 7525, the Counter Drone State and Local Defender Act, a bill that would permanently authorize state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies to operate counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems against unauthorized drone operations. The bill was received in Congress on February 12, 2026, and currently has no cosponsors. H.R.…

Clearwater Police Launch Skydio Drone Program for Spring Break
Skydio

Clearwater Police Launch Skydio Drone Program for Spring Break

One drone. 45 seconds to scene. A 2.5-mile beach packed with tens of thousands of people. Clearwater just made a smart bet, and the aircraft they chose says a lot about where American law enforcement is headed, as WTSP reports. Spring Break Is a Traffic Problem With a Badge Clearwater Beach is one of the…

Kansas City Police Launch Drone First Responder Program
DJI

Kansas City Police Launch Drone First Responder Program

Eight drone nests, 30 seconds to scene, and a Chinese-made aircraft at the center of an American public safety debate. Kansas City just went live. The System That Gets There Before the Cruiser Eight drone nests are now positioned across Kansas City, all controlled from KCPD’s real-time crime center, as Axios reports. When a call…

Portland, Maine City Council Votes Again on Police Drone Under Maine's Strict UAV Law
DJI

Portland, Maine City Council Votes Again on Police Drone Under Maine’s Strict UAV Law

The $45,000 drone Portland police want has been stuck in political limbo since November 2025, when the council rejected it 4-3. Now, under Order 88-25/26, the Portland City Council faces the same vote again — and the same legal reality: under 25 M.R.S.A. §4501, Maine police departments cannot acquire a drone without governing body approval.…

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