HOUSTON – Houston police are expanding their use of drones, giving officers another tool to gather information during dangerous calls before making decisions that could put lives at risk.
Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz says drones can provide officers with a better view of a situation when they arrive with only part of the picture. A suspect may have moved, someone could be hiding, or a situation could be escalating.
“We want it to get in a position where we as an agency can utilize the technology to prevent perhaps an officer-involved shooting or something catastrophic,” Diaz said.
HPD already has drones in its toolkit, with much of the department’s current fleet funded by the Houston Police Foundation. The fleet is managed by the Patrol Support Team, and the department plans to expand the program gradually while evaluating whether the technology makes police work safer and more effective.
One potential use is during a police pursuit.
If a suspect runs from officers, police could establish a perimeter and deploy a drone to help locate the person rather than immediately chasing through a neighborhood. The goal is to give officers better information and allow for a safer, more controlled response.
But expanding the use of drones also raises questions about privacy and surveillance.
HPD says drone flights are tracked
Diaz says safeguards are already in place to prevent drones from being used for general surveillance.
According to the chief, every drone flight is tied to a case number, incident, event or training exercise. The department also uses DroneSense software to track drone activity and maintains flight data and logs.
Diaz said the system is designed to ensure drones are not simply being flown over neighborhoods or used to look into people’s backyards without a specific police purpose.
The department says that accountability will be an important part of the expanding program.
Citywide drone response still some time away
HPD already uses drones during large events and other police operations, but Houston’s size presents a challenge.
The department’s current fleet cannot respond to every call, while weather conditions and the cost of more advanced drone systems can also limit how quickly the program can grow.
For now, HPD is evaluating how and how quickly to expand its drone capabilities. The department says it will use analytics to determine whether the technology is cost-effective and whether it actually improves public safety.
A citywide drone response system is still some time away, but the department’s goal is to determine whether drones can give officers better information, faster — and help them handle high-risk calls more safely.
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