Drone-as-first-responder programs, pursuit footage, evidence policy, and the departments putting UAS on patrol.
New York's $75 million LETECH program funds police drones and counter-drone gear, but an ICE clause locks out Rensselaer County, whose photographed fleet of DJI and Autel aircraft faces a federal squeeze of its own.
League City Police Department plans to launch a Drone as First Responder program by December after city council approved a Motorola Solutions pilot agreement built around BRINC aircraft, with the first year free and a six-year contract value of up to $1,759,980 if the city keeps the program.
Beaver Dam police officers brought their drone unit into the city's Intro to Police Work summer school class, giving elementary-age students a hands-on look at how the department flies real public-safety missions.
Ruston Police Department says its BRINC drone Patsy helped officers identify and arrest a fraud suspect in the agency’s first drone-assisted arrest, underscoring how Drone as First Responder programs are spreading into smaller U.S. departments.
Reno police used a BRINC Drone as First Responder aircraft to track an armed suspect through a 30-minute manhunt and guide officers to a calm arrest. The incident also shows how BRINC is competing for a growing share of the U.S. public-safety drone market.
New York State Police troopers brought three drones to Warwick's Junior Police Academy, letting cadets race the aircraft, watch live feeds and learn how law-enforcement drone pilots are trained.
The Minneapolis City Council deadlocked 6-6, killing a free 75-day Skydio Drone as First Responder trial after members cited the company’s ties to ICE and the Israeli military, despite neighboring cities expanding similar programs.
The Seattle Fire Department wants up to three drones for structure fires, water rescues, hazmat calls and mass-casualty scenes, but the rescue program still has to pass through the city's surveillance-technology review process.
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