Aerial cameras can reach incidents ahead of patrol officers to provide valuable information
Carlsbad police are testing first-responder drones and could be the next city in San Diego County to adopt the program. First-responder drones are stationed atop a building or some outdoor object and can lift off immediately in response to an officer’s request or a 911 emergency call.
They later return to their station and recharge. A drone can be hovering over a site, transmitting video several minutes before officers arrive. Sometimes, the eye in the sky will show that no officer is needed, saving time and resources for more important calls. “The future of all this is very interesting and exciting,” said Carlsbad police Lt. Shaun Lawton, in a presentation Monday to the city’s Community-Police Engagement Commission. The Carlsbad Police Department is gathering information about the needs and costs for a customized first-responder drone system, Lawton said. When ready to proceed, police administrators will go to the City Council for approval. So far, no date has been set. “That’s what the future vision is for our drone program,” Lawton said. The department has been using officer-deployed aerial drones for several years. Cities using drones have policies to protect people’s privacy, similar to the use of body-worn cameras, and access to the video is restricted. When traveling to and from an incident, the drone cameras are tilted toward the horizon and the sky, not the ground below, Lawton said.Carlsbad police deployed their drones 914 times for a total of 188 hours in 2024, Lawton said. So far this year, the machines have flown more than 521 times for a total of at least 123 hours. Police departments across the county have been using drones for years. Most of them are deployed by officers who arrive at the scene in patrol cars with the equipment, which takes time to set up and launch. The first-responder program avoids that delay. Drones are used to search for evidence, suspects or lost individuals, to pinpoint the location of traffic accidents, disturbances and crime scenes, and to monitor special events such as demonstrations and marathons. Video can be streamed live to officers on the ground, dispatchers and supervisors. Chula Vista, the second-largest city in the county, was one of the first in the nation to add a first-responder police drone program in 2018. The average response time for a drone in Chula Vista is under two minutes compared to about six minutes for an officer, according to the city’s website. The equipment has assisted in thousands of arrests. In April, the Oceanside City Council approved a 13-month pilot program for a drone launched from the roof of the Civic Center to cover areas west of Interstate 5. The city received a $264,816 grant from the state’s 2024 Citizens Options for Public Safety program to pay for the project. Drone technology is advancing rapidly, Lawton said. Newer models have better cameras and longer battery life to allow longer flight times. Carlsbad has multiple types of drones, larger ones for outdoor use and smaller ones to search the interiors of buildings. Some drones have lights that can illuminate a crime scene. Some have speakers that can be used to address the public, but so far only with pre-recorded messages.Tsunami advisory for San Diego and Orange counties lifted by Pacific Tsunami Warning CenterBig changes could soon come to southwestern Mission Bay Park, if the city gets its way‘The housing market is stuck’: San Diego price gains remain at bottom of U.S. rankingsA do-over for Newsom? California crafts power plays to tackle looming refinery shutdowns What should it cost to park in Balboa Park? San Diego City Council members haggle over plan’s details
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