After a heated debate, Santa Ana became the latest city in Orange County to approve the use of drones as first responders.<\/p>\n
Santa Ana Police Chief Robert Rodriguez told the council the drones will help the department improve response times.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will reduce the air support costs associated with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter contract. That contract currently right now sits about approximately half-a-million dollars a year,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will provide responding officers with valuable information before they arrive on scene, which enhances community and officer safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
But some on the City Council and in the audience expressed concerns with the vendor, Axon Enterprise Inc., which contracts with the Department of Homeland Security. As Orange County\u2019s only sanctuary city, Santa Ana has grappled with a deep mistrust in the police department<\/a> as the federal government ramped up immigration raids and ICE detentions last summer. As immigrant families already contend with a fear of coming outside, the increased surveillance, they said, would make them even more afraid.<\/p>\n Ultimately, the council voted 4-3 to allow the city manager to enter into an agreement with Axon Enterprise for a three-year period, joining cities like Newport Beach, Irvine and Huntington Beach, which all have drone programs.<\/p>\n Details of the program<\/p>\n The drones will cost the city around $700,000, which will come from a state grant.<\/p>\n All data collected from the drones will be the property of the city and will only be released in accordance with state and city laws. The drones will also be the latest in surveillance technology purchased by the police department after it approved the purchase of 57 license plate readers<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n How will the drones be deployed?<\/p>\n The three first-responder drones will be docked across the city at fire stations. When the police department receives an emergency call, the drones will be deployed within minutes, arriving before first responders. The live video stream, the police department says, will allow officers \u201cto coordinate their actions more effectively and gather information in direct support of the department\u2019s de-escalation strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to the first-responder drones, the city will also purchase two patrol drones to use indoors and in tight spaces \u201cto identify potential dangers.\u201d<\/p>\n