Dublin adding drones as new tool in police response
DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) — The Dublin Police Department is set to launch its Drone as First Responder program next month, the first of its kind in central Ohio.
Dublin Police Sgt. Andrew Clark said the department will be able to get live real-time information during an active situation.
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'While it'll never replace police officers and the need for us on the ground, I think it just makes us better,' Clark said.
It will help with officer response times and improve their situational awareness about what is happening at the scene.
'If we can get live information of what is actually happening within that 90 seconds or less and be able to relay that information to officers and tailor our response to that, it's a better response to the citizens,' Clark said.
There will be four drone stations set up around Dublin: city hall, Washington Township Fire Department's administrative building, Scioto High School, and Grizzell Middle School.
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Clark said that to his knowledge, Dublin is the first in the nation to partner with schools and fire departments for this program.
'Anywhere the pilot is, they can take it off and fly it to the scene,' Clark said.
Pictures from the drones will be clear both day and night, and Clark said they have an infrared camera and can also add a spotlight to the drone to help with darkness. He said they are also able to attach a speaker so they can have two-way communication.
Dublin Police Sgt. Joshua Kirby said the department can use this tool in any kind of active incident such as a missing person search, a fleeing suspect, or a traffic incident.
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'I think it makes us safer,' Kirby said. 'I think it makes us more efficient and effective. There are several instances that I can think of where had we had this technology in place, things would have turned out much, much different.'
Each drone can stay in the air for about 25 minutes, Kirby said; however, the drones are always charged and ready to go. He said they can switch them out with each other for seamless live coverage.
'As the world evolves, as policing evolves, then technology is something that we are going to have to incorporate in order to do a better job,' Kirby said.
Dublin Police said they can fly the drones in four counties: Franklin, Delaware, Union and Madison.
The program officially launches in April.
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