The Reno Police Department has now used its Drone as a First Responder (DFR) program for seven months. The drones do not replace officers but instead help officers by arriving on the scene first and is operated by an officer.
“It's very helpful because depending on the escalation of the situation,” said Hunter Mercurio, Public Information Officer for the Reno Police Department. “Let's say it was a report of a fight. If we have a drone show up to that call, they can get eyes on the fight, or they can see if the fight is dispersed. It can really help us de-escalate or properly prepare for those calls that we're responding to.”
Mercurio also says it also helps eliminate the number of calls officers respond to that turn out not to be anything. Instead, the eyes in the sky let officers know it's not a real emergency, and they can be more efficient with their deployments.
DFR can be used in all types of situations; crimes in progress, helping to locate missing people, and even replacing car chases that put officers and the public in danger.
“We just had a good case where there was a stolen vehicle,” said Mercurio. “And because the stolen vehicle ran from police officers, we were able to have officers back off from that vehicle so that it's not a danger to the public. The drone was actually able to follow that vehicle, and we were able to take that suspect into custody at a safe location.”
There are currently three drones at different locations around the city that can be deployed at any time. They've been used more than 11,000 times already this year.
RPD is working on getting a dashboard on their city website that contains minute by minute information on when, where, and how the drones are used, but in the meantime, the community may access the information here: Reno Police Department - DFR Transparency Dashboard.
It’s also important to note, that the video collected by the drones is only accessible to the department, much like their Axon body cameras. The parent company, and any other organization, does not have access to it. The footage posted on their social media pages has been screened and edited to protect the individuals featured in it.
The drones are located across the city to best respond to calls nearby and allow officers to determine if it's a true emergency that needs their attention.
