Redmond, Washington's police department is advancing its use of drones as first responders. This initiative builds on their previous work with drones since 2018, which was initially aimed at documenting traffic accidents and locating missing persons.
According to Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe, the Drones as First Responder (DFR) program offers strategic advantages: "Within two minutes or less, we have an aerial perspective and real-time situational awareness of what is occurring on the ground. All my pilots are commissioned police officers, so we have a commissioned police officer that has that perspective in two minutes or less. Then that real-time information can be relayed back to ground."
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Redmond PD permission to operate drones without a visual observer, enhancing efficiency by reducing staffing needs. The program plans to place drones with officers' vehicles for better support during operations.