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Redmond Police Department pioneers use of drones as first responders

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Redmond Police Department pioneers use of drones as first responders
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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.

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Drones will also be stationed in docking stations around Redmond, allowing them to arrive on scene swiftly. Since April, over 500 missions have been conducted under this program.

Chief Lowe shared a recent incident where a drone provided crucial intelligence during a standoff: "About a month ago, we had a circumstance where we had a subject that barricaded himself in an outbuilding, a shed. We were able to have the drone overhead to provide that real-time intelligence to the officers."

The Redmond PD ensures civil liberties are protected with clear policies on drone usage. Cameras remain fixed unless actively searching an area, and there are no plans for permanent surveillance or weaponization of drones.

The department will utilize law enforcement-specific drones from BRINC and Skydio. These systems include software integration with Axon Enterprise for dispatch coordination and remote operations.

To operate these drones, officers must obtain an FAA Part 107 license and undergo specialized training. Chief Lowe emphasized the importance of support for the program's success: “If you're going to go in, then you need to fully support it so that the program is successful.”

Redmond's Mayor and City Council recently showed their backing by unanimously approving contracts supporting the DFR initiative.

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