ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 The Orlando Police Department is now using drones as first responders and sending them to certain 911 calls to give officers a live view of the scene.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also raising questions about privacy, but the department says safeguards are in place.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat would you say to the citizens who see this as an invasion of privacy or an overstep?\u201d Channel 9 asked OPD Police Chief Eric Smith. \u201cWe have a set of policies in place when we launch these drones,\u201d he said. \u201cI know people won\u2019t believe us, we\u2019re not looking in people\u2019s windows, spying on people, we\u2019re not just flying around just to fly around.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eleven drones are part of OPD\u2019s Drone as First Responder Program and are positioned throughout different districts across the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey respond to shots fired calls, burglaries in progress,\u201d Chief Smith said. \u201cThe drone gets there first. Officers are battling traffic; they\u2019re further away, the drone gets there first on scene, getting vital information.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program costs about $759,000 a year and was added through the same contracted company that provides OPD with tasers and body cameras.<\/p>\n
When a qualifying call comes in, a nearby drone can be dispatched to specific GPS coordinates.<\/p>\n
From the crime center, an FAA-certified pilot can control the drone, giving officers a live view of the scene, including whether a suspect runs, hides, or may have a weapon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe officers in the crime center tell the officers that shots are being fired from this location. We see what\u2019s going on, so all officers respond from this direction,\u201d Chief Smith said.<\/p>\n
Chief Smith said that since testing the program in October, only one drone has crashed. He said it became disconnected from the system, but each drone is equipped with a parachute, so no injuries or damage were reported.<\/p>\n
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