The Lewisville Police Department is expanding its use of drones with the rollout of its new Drone First Responder program.
The program will operate in conjunction with the department’s other 16 drones to quickly provide officers with information on how to best approach a situation, according to Drone Unit Sgt. Timothy O’Hare.
The new drones can launch from three static points around the city, arriving on a scene quickly to give officers information on the situation before they act.
The drones are equipped with thermal cameras, spotlights and speakers, allowing officers to get a clear view at any time of day and talk to people from afar.
The drones can operate in mild to medium weather, fly upward of 45 mph and get a clear camera shot up to 400 feet away.
Under Lewisville’s Drone First Responder policy, the drones are authorized for use:
- In response to any emergency call
- To assist in the apprehension of criminal offenders
- To protect life and property during disaster response
- To support other activities from government agencies like inspections, marketing and surveying
- For training, evaluation and maintenance purposes
Example scenarios given during a press conference Friday included aiding officers with threat assessment to clarify the type of response needed on the fly, scoping out the scene of a traffic accident faster than first responders can arrive, and quickly providing information to residents in a high-stress emergency situation.
“We’re trying to make sure that we are being responsible with the technology that we have keeping our public’s right to privacy safe,” Police Chief Brook Rollins said.
The policy specifies that drones cannot be used for:
- Conducting mass surveillance “unrelated to public safety official operations”
- Conducting activities prohibited by law
- Conducting operations that violate laws related to search and seizure
Additionally, the drones are not allowed to be equipped with weaponry.
Any footage recorded by the drones will be public information, like police officers’ body-worn camera footage.
“The drones, when they are flying to or from the incidents, will not be actively recording,” Rollins said. “Once they arrive at the scene, they will begin recording whatever that scene requires them to record.”
PENNY KIMBLE can be reached at pkimble@dentonrc.com.
For more than 120 years, the Denton Record-Chronicle has been Denton County’s source for locally produced, fact-based journalism. Your support through a tax-deductible donation or low-cost subscription is vital to our ability to deliver credible, relevant, unique coverage of our community.
