In a significant change of strategy for public safety, Denver will soon implement drones into the police force. The move comes in the face of massive budget cuts — yet the Denver Police Department (DPD) is now set to use drones as primary respondents for select 911 cases. This decision trails an earlier announcement by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in April this year on slashing $45.9 million from city agencies; among these included an $8.4 million cut for police and a further $2.5 million reduction for fire department, all done to respond to migrant inflow issues.
A DPD official shared with The National Desk (TND) that drones are going to play a central role in the work they do. And within the next half-year, they will implement a drone program; this is an initiative sponsored by Denver Police Foundation through $100,000. Information from the drones will be continuously available to the officers on the ground, allowing them to determine and ensure public safety as well as safety for fellow officers and manage resources properly.
“Drones as a First Responder is not an intervention tool, but rather a tool for situational awareness,” the spokesperson explained. Drones will be launched from multiple base stations across the city to quickly gather information on ongoing situations.
This concept isn’t entirely new. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has been using drones in various scenarios. NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry testified before Congress about the department’s increased drone usage, which has risen by over 419% since 2022. NYPD’s 85 drones are utilized in “limited circumstances,” including structural inspections and crowd monitoring.
Similar to this, the Los Angeles police department Hawthorne has unveiled its Responder drone, which can provide live-stream video and provide medical supplies during emergency reactions. These unmanned aerial vehicles are positioned in charging “nests” across the city, prepared for prompt deployment.
Denver’s use of drones is indicative of an increasing tendency in police enforcement to use technology to increase productivity and security. Drones provide an affordable way to preserve public safety and maximize police response as budgetary restrictions push communities to get creative.
