In a move to bolster public safety and efficiency, the Arlington Police Department (APD) is scaling up its innovative use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, through its Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program. In a rollout meant to provide aerial support to officers responding to emergencies, licensed APD UAS pilots are now deploying drones to survey scenes ahead of patrol vehicles, which often contend with the constraints of navigating city roads. According to the Arlington Police Department's recent announcement, this enhanced perspective from above promises quicker identification of suspects and better decision-making during critical incidents.
Initially, the department's DFR program was launched to manage the surge of pyrotechnic-related disturbances around Independence Day and New Year's Eve. Flying the drones to a scene has now been broadened to encompass a range of emergencies such as burglaries, aggravated assaults, and missing person searches. With a waiver obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration allowing for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations, APD drone pilots can remotely operate drones over greater distances, directly from the department's Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) — a strategic leap in the capabilities of the DFR program.
To facilitate instant deployment, APD has installed DFR docks at two strategic locations, enabling drones to cover a radius of up to 1.5 miles and hit speeds of up to 50 mph. "I want to be clear that DFR does not replace our traditional police response," stated Chief Al Jones. "But this technology presents significant opportunities for us to better serve our community, which is why we are embracing it. The faster we can put eyes on a situation, the safer the outcome for everybody," he added, as conveyed in the city's press release.
