Share
The New York Times Subscription
Drone as First Responder programs in places like Redondo Beach and Clovis, Calif., are seeking waivers that would allow them to fly beyond the operators’ line of sight.
In Clovis, the Police Department has found that its drones tend to overheat at the height of summer. “We were flying them four days a week until it got too hot,” Lt. James Munro said. “Then we had to ground them.”
But he thinks these and other technical obstacles will soon be overcome. “Drones are like iPhones,” he said. “As soon as you get one, a new one arrives with new technology.”
When the Chula Vista police receive a 911 call, they can dispatch a flying drone with the press of a button.
Each day, the Chula Vista police respond to as many as 15 emergency calls with a drone, launching more than 4,100 flights since the program began two years ago. Chula Vista, a Southern California city with a population of 270,000, is the first in the country to adopt such a program, called Drone as First Responder.
But the latest drone technology — mirroring technology that powers self-driving cars — has the power to transform everyday policing, just as it can transform package delivery, building inspections and military reconnaissance.
That newfound automation, however, raises civil liberties concerns, especially as drones gain the power to track vehicles and people automatically.
By Cade Metz | 5 Dec 2020
RELATED TOPICS:
Gomez Guilty of Murdering Los Hooligans Bass Player
4 hours ago
Biden Says It Was a Mistake to Say He Wanted to Put Trump in a ‘Bull’s-Eye’
4 hours ago
Tesla CEO Elon Musk Appears to Confirm Delay in Aug. 8 Robotaxi Unveil Event to Make Design Change
7 hours ago
Smittcamp Asks Court to Drop His Lawsuit Against Controversial NW Fresno Project
8 hours ago
Measure P Arts Grants Spark Debate and a Meeting Tonight
8 hours ago
Tedford Exits Fresno State Football. Tim Skipper Is the Next Bulldog Up.
8 hours ago
Trump Receives Enough Delegate Votes to Officially be Republicans’ Nominee
9 hours ago
Man Dies After Rescuing His 2 Children in Mississippi River
3 hours ago
Categories
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/15173402/A-photo-provided-by-Jesse-Pope-shows-Cody-Jay-Pope-right-with-him-in-2012.-The-authorities-found-the-body-of-Cody-Jay-Pope-a-41-year-old-Minnesota-man-who-had-disappeared-two-days-earlier-after-1024x538.jpg)
Man Dies After Rescuing His 2 Children in Mississippi River
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/15150557/AP24197467333843-1024x576.jpg)
Is Inflation Finally Corralled? Powell Says Federal Reserve Believes It’s Close
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/15171647/Los-Hooligans-court_1280X720-1024x576.jpg)
Gomez Guilty of Murdering Los Hooligans Bass Player
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/15172819/President-Joe-Biden-arrives-to-speak-to-members-of-the-media-in-Rehoboth-Beach-Del.-about-the-shooting-incident-at-Donald-Trumps-rally-in-Pa.-on-Saturday-July-13-2024.-President-Biden-said-o-1024x538.jpg)
Biden Says It Was a Mistake to Say He Wanted to Put Trump in a ‘Bull’s-Eye’
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/15144853/AP24197697589922_-1024x576.jpg)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk Appears to Confirm Delay in Aug. 8 Robotaxi Unveil Event to Make Design Change
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/15120621/lawsuit-against-respiratory-care-facility_1280X720-1024x576.jpg)
Smittcamp Asks Court to Drop His Lawsuit Against Controversial NW Fresno Project
![The Wines of Fresno: Tony Kirk, Birdstone Winery](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/12152749/Tony-Kirk-Birdstone-Winery-016-1-1024x576.jpg)