Latest news with #DunwoodyPolice
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Yahoo
Dunwoody Police elevate public safety with rooftop-launched drone technology
The Brief The Dunwoody Police Department uses a rooftop-launched drone integrated with 911 dispatch and Real Time Crime Center systems, allowing rapid deployment to scenes. The drone provides a bird's-eye view, enhancing response time and officer safety by assessing threats, identifying suspects, and determining resource needs. Dubbed the "Flock Drone," it has proven effective in apprehending suspects and is described as a "flying first responder," offering faster, safer, and smarter response methods. DUNWOODY, Ga. - The Dunwoody Police Department is taking public safety to new heights—literally—with the use of a rooftop-launched drone. The drone is integrated directly into its 911 dispatch and Real Time Crime Center systems. What they're saying Dubbed the "Flock Drone," the aircraft can be launched within seconds of a 911 call, automatically ascending and heading to the scene before officers even hit the road. "When Flock 911 grabs the call, we're able to simply push a button and able to deploy that drone to any call," said Sgt. Michael Cheek. "It will launch itself automatically and once it's up in the air at a certain height you can then take control of it and fly it to the GPS coordinates." Dunwoody police say they are the only agency in Georgia currently using the technology in this way. "We at the Dunwoody Police Department are the only agency in the state that has these drones in use and being used and deployed," said Cheek. Local perspective The drone is stationed on the roof of the Dunwoody Police Department and gives officers a bird's-eye view of active scenes. That aerial vantage point, according to police, improves response time and officer safety by helping assess threats, identify suspects, and determine if additional units are needed. "That bird's eye view allows us to see if we need additional resources," Cheek said. The department says the drone recently played a key role in apprehending a man wanted out of another jurisdiction. After Flock license plate readers flagged the suspect's car inside city limits, officers launched the drone to locate him from above. "Once they realized he didn't have a firearm on him, just a cellphone, they walked right up on him," said Cheek. From above, officers are able to make more informed decisions about how to approach a scene and whether to escalate their response. "It's been extremely valuable," Cheek added. Dunwoody Police call the drone a "flying first responder" and say it has already proven to be faster, safer, and smarter than traditional response methods. The Source The Dunwoody Police Department spoke with FOX 5's Denise Dillon for this story.
Axios
03-04-2025
- Axios
Dunwoody police drones now beat officers to 911 calls
Next time you dial 911 in Dunwoody, the first responder to arrive on the scene could be hovering 400 feet above you, humming and watching. Driving the news: Dunwoody is the latest law enforcement agency in metro Atlanta to deploy drones that can fly to emergencies and gather intel faster than officers can drive through suburban gridlock. Why it matters: Police surveillance technology is big business in metro Atlanta, where a connected network of public and private — and not always functioning — cameras, license plate readers and other tech have made our home one of the most surveilled places per capita in the world. State of play: For the past several months, Dunwoody Police have launched a Flock Safety drone from a climate-controlled nest on top of City Hall that can travel nearly anywhere in the city in 90 seconds, according to the law enforcement agency The Atlanta-based company's Drone as First Responder Program vehicles hover hundreds of feet in the air to provide police an early vantage point of an emergency, Tom Pethtel, Flock's vice president of engineering, told Axios. In some cases, the drone can arrive before the 911 call operator finishes logging a caller's details. Yes, but: The American Civil Liberties Union, privacy advocates, and some communities where Flock's and other companies' products are used raise concerns about targeted monitoring of individuals and groups and what the company and police do with the data and information they collect. The ACLU calls on police departments to only use drones when they have a warrant or during an emergency and only keep images when there's a "reasonable suspicion" that they contain evidence. What they're saying: Pethtel says the drones are designed to complement the work of on-the-ground officers, not roving patrols. Holly Beilin, a Flock spokesperson, told Axios the company maintains " transparency portals" to inform the public about how long the data is stored, what the technology can and can't be used for, what entities have access to the data, and more. Zoom out: Police departments in Brookhaven, Atlanta and other metro cities have used drones to respond to 911 calls. Catch up quick: Founded in 2017 by Georgia Tech graduates Garrett Langley and Matt Feury, the startup unicorn is valued at more than $7.5 billion and employs more than 130 people. 4,500 law enforcement agencies across the country use its surveillance cameras, automatic license-plate readers and drones, according to the company. On Wednesday, Gov. Brian Kemp joined the company to open a 97,000-square-foot factory in Smyrna.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dunwoody becomes first metro city to install AED SafeStations in public areas
According to the American Heart Association, just under a half million cardiac arrest deaths occur each year. However, experts say cardiac arrest deaths can be prevented if CPR or an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is used immediately. The city of Dunwoody is making sure residents have access to these devices, in a first for metro Atlanta, by installing four SaveStations equipped with AEDs in public parks. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Ahead of its official Thursday unveiling, Dunwoody Police Sgt. Michael Cheek gave Channel 2's Brittany Kleinpeter a preview of the device now on display at Brooke Run Park. 'We put them out here to hopefully save lives and increase the chance of survivability when we're waiting on fire departments,' Cheek explained. Each SaveStation cabinet houses a publicly accessible AED designed for easy use by anyone in emergencies. When the cabinet is opened, an alarm sounds, notifying emergency dispatchers. The AED provides audible and visual instructions, evaluating the patient's heart rhythm and administering a shock, if necessary. Families in the park Wednesday like Monique and Russell Wyche said the device provides a sense of comfort and security. 'You never know what can happen and you want to make sure everyone goes home safe,' Russell said. Leaders like Dunwoody Parks and Recreation Director Rachel Waldron say they hope these SaveStations can bridge the gap between a medical issue and care. 'By installing SaveStations in public parks and recreation areas, we want people to become more aware of AEDs and more comfortable with the idea of using one in an emergency,' Waldron said. The three other stations are located at the Brook Run Park multi-use fields, Two Bridges Park, and Pernoshal Park. The stations were supplied by city SPLOST funds, costing about $15,000 for our four boxes. TRENDING STORIES: Todd Chrisley says prison guard ripped MAGA sticker off from jail cell, hopes Trump will pardon him Parked Delta plane hit by another aircraft while waiting on tarmac 'It's hard times': Good Samaritan returns money bag to salon after finding it in parking lot [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
