A “game changer” is how Delaware County police leaders are describing police drones.
While drones have been available to departments for over 10 years, improved technology and particularly remote piloting, allows drones to be a front-line tool for officers.
Departments are now using drones for early reporting of calls, searches, tracking suspects, 3-D accident reconstruction, even guiding criminals to officers.
Upper Darby
In the Upper Darby Police Department, officers are now able to launch a drone from the roof of their station on West Chester Pike to respond to calls quicker than officers could physically arrive.
Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt said his department’s seven drones are part of more than $1 million that the township has invested in technology to help to reduce crime.
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt points out public surveillance cameras in the township that are monitored in the real time crime center. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
“The capability to launch a drone directly to calls is a first in Delaware County, ” Bernhardt said.
In the region Philadelphia and Bensalem have similar capabilities.
Bernhardt said that in the near future his department hopes to link with the Delaware County 911 Center allowing the drone to be automatically launched on certain calls.
As of now, when a call comes in, officers in the department’s criminal intelligence unit who are FAA certified pilots can launch the drone in seconds.
Bernhardt said the drone is getting to the location before police, increasing public safety, and it is not about surveilling residents.
“We’re able to get live video back from the drone and officers in the criminal intelligence unit are able to relay the information before the officers get there,” Bernhardt said. “This drone gives police a better idea before they get there, which is huge.”
Bernhardt said the world is now all about data, and that data has helped them better identify problem areas.
In areas of the township that have been identified as producing crime, the township has placed stationary cameras, which officers from the Criminal Intelligence Unit monitor. If an officer sees an issue on the screen they send a drone and in seconds can identify criminal activity, whereas in the past they had to rely on patrol officers constant monitoring of the scene in hopes of witnessing criminal activity.
“Its drones and the real time crime center are helping us in our reduction of crime, the criminal intelligence,” Bernhardt said. “I have to thank Mayor Ed Brown and council. We have more than $1 million invested. It’s a real investment. We’re not just pouring money at things that aren’t working or haven’t worked in the past.”
Skydio
Last week, representatives from Skydio, the U.S.-based drone manufacturer that supplied drones to Upper Darby, held a demonstration at Upper Chichester Police Department.
Skydio drone sales representative Elliot Long prepares to launch a drone in the Upper Chichester police station parking lot. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
Skydio sales representative Elliot Long said the company has been in business 12 years and went to market with drones to both industry and government about six years ago. He said they are the largest U.S. drone manufacturer, based in San Mateo, Calif.
Long touted the drone first responder program, which integrates sending a drone on calls as they come into 911 dispatchers.
Arriving first, the drone operator is often able to survey the situation ahead of police arrival.
“If we get on scene first, we can get eyes on exactly what the officers are responding to. Is this a priority 1 call or a priority 4 call?” Long said. “If we get the drone there first, we can have proper response on what we’re actually seeing on the call. Keeping officers and the community safer.”
Using the example of a 10-square-mile municipality, docked drones could be spread across the town, like fire stations, allowing for quicker responses.
The drone can be equipped with cameras, including thermal imaging, a speaker and siren.
“Rather than putting officers close, putting officers in harm’s way … we can send the drone … we can have a proper response, know exactly what’s happening, and communicate with that person,” Long said.
Long stressed drones don’t have weapons, or explosives.
He demurred on the price, stating it would depend on the program and technology incorporated.
The company has not been without controversy, including efforts to restrict competition from China. Last month Minneapolis City Council turned down a pilot program over issues that federal ICE officials utilize Skydio drones.
Skydio’s outdoor drone X10 is weather rated. It weighs under 5 pounds and can be used in temperatures from minus 5 to 110 degrees. That is the drone that is launched from a dock.
Their indoor drone, the R10, is easier to carry and built to take some abuse. It’s propellers are protected and can be kicked and will flip over, and AI technology allows a pilot to safely fly in tight quarters.
The Skydio drone flies through an open car window in the Upper Chichester police station parking lot. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
Long said the drone as a first responder system is the future.
“This is by far the biggest push that will happen in law enforcement over the next two, three years,” Long said. “A lot of departments are telling us this is the most impactful technology since the radio.”
Upper Chichester
Upper Chichester Lt. Christopher Jones and Detective Michael Molineux were among those taking part in the Skydio demonstration, and while they did not go as far as the salesman they did agree drones have been a game changer.
Jones said remote piloting is the difference maker.
Upper Chichester has had a drone unit since 2018. They started with two drones, and both Jones and Molineux went through the FAA certification to fly them.
Upper Chichester Police Lt. Christopher Jones, holding controller, test flies a Skydio drone in the police station parking lot. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
Among the uses they have found include crash reconstruction work which allows 3-D mapping of a crash scene, which is helpful for court and trial purposes.
Search and rescue missions and technical incidents, which allows police to have an eye in the sky getting information, as well as a smaller drone inside a building to locate subjects.
Jones said that on barricaded-persons incidents they can send the drone inside to identify the location of the victim and suspect.
“We’ve had individuals throw their hands up … in the air, and with the drone, guided the individual out of the house and to the tac team,” Jones said. “Then they were able to take him into custody.”
“It’s taking safety concerns away, not just for us but for the public and the offender,” Molineux said. “It’s great to have that capability.”
In Upper Chichester, they have six officers qualified to fly the drones.
In normal operations, an officer carries a drone in their patrol unit. When needed, they put it out on the street and an operator can then take control from a remote site.
Unlike the public who must fly drones by the line of sight, police drone officers have a FAA exception to utilize the camera and screen to operate the unit.
Jones said all their officers are Part 107 pilots, a basic pilots course. They also practice in-house training.
The remote features limit flights to 200 feet above ground.
“Flying is the easy part. It’s all the training and knowing what to do (that) is the difficult part,” Jones said.
Marple
In Marple, police first acquired drones in 2024 and have integrated them into department operations, said Police Chief Brandon Graeff.
Marple has four drones, three exterior units equipped with thermal imaging, and one smaller unit suitable for interior use.
“They’ve been especially helpful in quickly assessing scenes, supporting searches for fleeing suspects, and providing real-time situational awareness during incidents where visibility or access is limited,” Graeff said.
Marple’s drones were purchased through the use of drug forfeiture money, money and assets seized during illegal drug investigations initiated by Marple officers and eventually turned over to that department by the courts after successful prosecutions through the support and cooperation from the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office.
Marple has 10 FAA certified pilots, all officers or detectives, and they are encouraged to use them whenever requested by other law enforcement agencies. It allows pilots to hone their skills while being able to assist other communities, Graeff said.
The department has developed a nine-page policy. Officer pilots must have completed the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Training, as well as three quarterly training flights and they only can be used for official duties.
“We’re very fortunate to have such an incredibly intelligent and driven group of officers who embrace the technology and are enthusiastic about using them,” Graeff said.
He said drones are excellent for situational awareness, adding that they have found multiple areas where drones are most useful.
“We’ve deployed a drone to locate possible theft suspect(s) in a neighborhood at night. It’s easy for a criminal to hide from a police car driving down the street but more difficult to hide from a drone with thermal imaging capabilities above you that you can’t see and might not even be able to hear,” Graeff said.
Marple is also using drones for pre-Incident planning, including prior to a search or arrest warrant being carried out. The drone can be useful to understand exterior hazards and the layout of the building police must enter. He said that is also applicable for SWAT team planning prior to enforcement action
Drones are excellent tools for search-and-rescue operations. A missing person or suspects fleeing on foot.
Graeff said they also are using drones for scene documentation, most recently to survey and document a serious vehicle crash.
An officer is assigned to deploy the drone during large gatherings such as the Memorial Day and July Fourth parades.
Graeff said that during a tactical deployment in spring in Collingdale in which two suspects were barricaded inside a home, officers deployed the drone to get eyes on the layout of the home.
“This allowed police on scene to gather critical information, including the whereabouts of the suspects and the location of one of the guns used during the crime, without immediately and unnecessarily putting officers or the public at risk,” Graeff said.
“The technology has become a valuable tool that complements traditional policing methods rather than replacing them,” Graeff said. “We focus on using it responsibly and in a way that enhances both public safety and transparency.”
Graeff added that drone technology has become like cellphones. The technology is advancing so quickly the one you currently have is already obsolete.
Upper Darby
Back in Upper Darby, Bernhardt and Detective John News gave a demonstration of the drone as it launched from the dock on the station roof. At 45 miles per hour, it takes just over a minute to get to Bonner & Prendergast High School on Lansdowne Avenue.
As it flies, street names and other vital information have been integrated and are displayed on the monitor.
Bernhardt said that is useful in helping the pilot relay information to patrol officers on the ground,
While the drone can reach all parts of the township, it cannot stay there too long, with a 25-minute battery time limit before it would have to return to its base or land for a replacement battery.
Heading toward Bonner & Prendergast High School, a drone monitor shows officers street names to assist in understanding ground location. (UPPER DARBY POLICE VIDEO)
The department is looking at a second docking station in the western part of the township to lessen that issue.
Bernhardt acknowledged police budgets are the majority of the township expenses. He said they are being accountable for what is spent, and providing the best service possible.
“With this, these officers can make better informed decisions as they are going to calls,” Bernhardt said.
The drone arriving first can warn responding officers, as well telling officers if there is no emergency.
“If we have a drone up there saying there is nothing there, you can slow down or just have one car proceed in with caution,” Bernhardt said. “Faster information results in more efficient deployment of manpower.”
News showed a video from a recent arrest in which the drone was a vital player. A stolen vehicle had entered the township and was identified by patrol officers, however the driver fled.
Officers at the police station flying the drone followed it.
Patrol officers ended the pursuit for traffic safety reasons, however the drone was able to follow and watched as the vehicle turned down in an alley, the operator got out and walked away.
In an attempt to avoid police, he changed his clothes, which officers at the police station witnessed and relayed to patrol officers who soon saw him and placed him in custody.
“The drone de-escalates for us,” Bernhardt said. “He had no idea we had been watching.”
“It’s cutting edge. It’s a game changer in every aspect of policing,” Bernhardt said. “This is the future … It’s the world we live in now. It’s the new policing.”
Not just high in the air, the Skydio drone can maneuver through tight spaces and under vehicles. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
A still from a police provided video show a stolen vehicle fleeing police. (UPPER DARBY POLICE VIDEO)
Upper Darby police patrol units take a suspect into custody in a stolen vehicle case after he had changed clothes to fool officers on the ground. It didn’t fool the one in the air. (UPPER DARBY POLICE VIDEO)
Upper Darby police are the first police department in the county to have a drone launch facility from the roof of the station. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
A view of Upper Darby’s real time crime center video monitors with a Skydio X10 drone in the foreground. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
An Upper Darby police drone shot showing the trolley stop at Lansdowne Avenue and Garrett Road. Important data is included in the view. (UPPER DARBY POLICE VIDEO)
The Skydio drone monitor shows the distances from the police station. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
A Skydio drone trailer marking. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
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Not just high in the air, the Skydio drone can maneuver through tight spaces and under vehicles. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)