LAKELAND, Fla. — The Lakeland Police Department is looking to expand its use of drones to respond faster to emergencies.
“Most of the calls that I get are for missing people, maybe somebody that has a warrant that took off running or traffic stops when people run,” said Officer Carl Anderson.
WATCH: Lakeland Police push for drone program to speed up emergency response
Anderson is one of a handful of Lakeland police officers trained to operate drones. They use them to search for suspects and missing people from above.
“I could look across the city and actually fly over across the city if I need to, to be able to see,” Anderson said.
Currently, those drones only go up after an officer arrives on scene. That is where the department’s proposed drone-as-first-responder (DFR) program comes in.
Drones would be stationed on rooftops across the city, launching the moment a 911 call comes in. Assistant Chief Hans Lehman told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Rebecca Petit that the goal is speed and being able to gather critical information in the first moments of an emergency.
“If a drone can launch as soon as the call is initiated and get overhead while officers are coming on scene, then we have a lot more scene assessment. We get more real-time information, and it can help us find suspects,” Lehman said.
Hans said the first 120 seconds of a call for service are the most important. And unlike officers, drones don’t sit in traffic.
“We may get there in two or three minutes but with a drone it doesn’t have to fight traffic. It doesn’t have to deal with red lights,” Lehman said.
Lehman said the technology could also help bridge the staffing gap. Still, questions remain about privacy and how the drones would be used.
“Concerned about how it would affect the privacy of others. If it would infringe on their privacy. Other than that, I think having something in the sky that would help like missing persons that would be great,” said Anne Hollabaugh.
Police insist they would only respond to active calls, not patrol neighborhoods.
“I know there are concerns about privacy issues, but the whole focus on the DFR is, it goes straight to the call, assesses, and then returns to base,” Lehman said.
The program is still just a proposal and will need budget approval from city leaders. If it gets the green light, the drones could be up and running by the end of the year.
Share Your Story with Rebecca
Rebecca Petit is dedicated to telling your stories from every corner of Polk County. She knows how growth has been a major discussion point for the area, and the impact it’s had on some of our most vulnerable populations. You can connect with Rebecca by using the form below.
.
Neighbors and wildlife experts react after a wandering alligator surprises this Wesley Chapel community
A Wesley Chapel resident says gators come with the territory after one was caught on camera in a driveway. A ZooTampa expert explains the sighting is likely due to alligator mating season.
