When someone calls 911 in Santa Monica, a drone is dispatched from the roof of the police station. In as little as 30 seconds, it can start collecting information before officers arrive.
Officers respond, as well. But most of the time, thegets there first — rushing to a set of GPS coordinates punched in by the controller. Sometimes it is there in as fast as 30 seconds.
Officer Peter Lashley controls the department’s drone at a command center inside the police station. Its powerful camera can zoom in tight enough to read a license plate. The department insists it only responds to calls for service and does not use the drone for surveillance.
Tactical drone use is also expanding as the technology improves. NBC News got a demonstration of the Lemur, a hardened quadcopter that can break glass, push open doors, fly into buildings and allow police to talk to barricaded subjects in hostage situations. Santa Monica is not yet using one, but many other departments are.mass shooting in his hometown, Las VegasA drone designed to be used by SWAT teams opens a door during a demonstration for NBC News.
Police say they have informally shown drone camera video to anyone expressing concern, although California departments have taken the position that the video is not releasable under public records laws. That premise is being challenged inA persistent eye in the sky could give a huge boost to police in solving street crimes, particularly in neighborhoods where witnesses tend not to cooperate.
In Chula Vista, drone operators listen in to 911 calls and can send their aircraft based on information learned during the calls, even before police are dispatched, officials said. “The drone got there,” Lashley said. “We identified that, indeed, they had guns, [but] as we watched them, we determined those guns were actually airsoft BB guns. We were able to communicate that. It de-escalated the situation, and it went from a violent felony in progress to … a group of teenagers clowning around.”
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