City Council committee gets first-hand look at proposed drone program

SHREVEPORT, La. — The Shreveport City Council’s Public Safety Committee is considering expanding the city’s police drone program after a two-week pilot demonstrated that drones could reach emergency calls before officers and provide live information from the scene.

Police Chief Wayne Smith and members of the Shreveport Police Department’s drone unit told the committee that a drone-as-first-responder program could improve response times, provide officers with better information before they arrive and potentially reduce the number of officers sent to calls that turn out to be unfounded.

The committee viewed a demonstration of the Skydio system, which uses drones stationed in docking units around the city. The drones can be launched remotely when a call comes into the department's computer-aided dispatch system.

During the pilot, which used two docking stations for about 12 hours a day, the drones made 127 flights and arrived at calls before police officers 74% of the time, according to a Skydio representative.

Capt. Dean Willis, who oversees the department's drone unit, said the pilot also demonstrated the potential for improved officer safety.

In one example, a supervisor was alone at the scene of a domestic call when the drone operator saw one of the suspects walk toward a vehicle while the supervisor was speaking with another person. The drone operator alerted the supervisor, providing information she might not otherwise have known.

Willis said the drones also can help determine whether officers are needed at a call. In some instances during the pilot, the drone arrived and found that the reported activity had already ended, allowing officers to remain available for other calls.

Staffing remains a concern

Police officials said the biggest challenge would not be the drones themselves but staffing.

Smith said a designated person would need to monitor the system and launch a drone immediately when a call comes in. Without someone continuously monitoring the system, the response-time advantage would be reduced because a pilot would still have to be located, travel to the drone and prepare it for flight.

Smith suggested that a retired police officer who maintains POST certification could be a good candidate to operate the system.

The department also is considering cross-training additional personnel, including auxiliary officers or civilians, as backup drone pilots.

Skydio representatives said the Federal Aviation Administration requires someone to remain in control of the drone but that a waiver can allow one pilot to operate up to four drones simultaneously.

Bossier City, which has three of the docking stations, uses a designated sergeant to operate its system during selected hours rather than around the clock, according to the department.

Council members see potential for faster response

Council members who sit on the committee expressed interest in using the technology to address concerns about police response times, particularly in parts of the city farther from police stations.

Committee Chairman Grayson Boucher said a demonstration near Station 17 showed a drone launching before a call was dispatched and flying over a Walmart parking lot to check the area.

He said the technology could be especially useful in areas such as Southern Trace, Long Lake, Martin Luther King Drive, Pines Road and South Newcastle, where residents have complained about response times.

Council members also discussed using the drones to provide information to other law enforcement agencies. Because the system can integrate with CAD and show the locations of officers and patrol vehicles, a drone operator could potentially direct a nearby Caddo Parish sheriff's deputy to a scene while Shreveport officers are still responding.

The technology could also allow officers responding to a call to know whether a person has a weapon, where a suspect is located or whether a reported incident is actually occurring before they reach the scene.

Potential uses beyond emergency calls

Committee members asked whether the drones could be used for more than emergency police calls.

Questions included using them to inspect rooftops, investigate reports of dangerous dogs, monitor property standards violations and document activity associated with zoning or other city code enforcement.

Smith said the city would own the equipment and could launch the drones for purposes it determines are appropriate. He also said video could be stored through the city's existing Axon evidence-management system and retrieved as evidence.

Council members also discussed using drones to monitor suspected illegal activity in residential areas, including businesses operating in areas where they may not be permitted.

The committee chair acknowledged privacy concerns but said the primary goal would be getting an officer's eyes on a crime scene as quickly as possible.

Fire department also could use drones

The potential program would not be limited to police operations.

The committee discussed using the drones during structure fires to provide firefighters with aerial and thermal images. The department already uses drones at some larger fires, primarily to help direct master streams and ladder trucks.

Fire officials said they are looking at Tulsa's drone program as a potential model for expanded fire-service use.

Council members said cross-training police drone operators and firefighters could allow drones to provide firefighters with information about heat signatures and potentially help locate people inside burning structures.

Cost and coverage still to be determined

Funding remains the biggest unresolved issue for the city.

Boucher said the city could potentially fund several drones but questioned where the money would come from to staff the program.

Skydio representatives said the drones can travel up to 45 mph and typically have about 40 minutes of flight time. They estimated that, under a model allowing about five minutes for the drone to reach a call and remain on scene, a dock could cover roughly a 2.5-mile radius, although the actual number and locations of docking stations would depend on the city's call data and desired response times.

The company's standard program includes the docking station, installation, training, regulatory assistance, software support, maintenance and replacement equipment. Representatives said the city would own the equipment rather than lease it.

They said the program includes a technology refresh after about 2½ years, as well as replacement coverage if a drone is damaged or destroyed during operation.

The drones also are designed to automatically monitor conditions such as battery life and wind and can return to the docking station when necessary. Batteries can be replaced in the field to allow a drone to return to service quickly.

The company said the drones can operate in rain and winds up to 28 mph, although freezing rain, heavy snow and other severe weather can affect their operation.

No funding decision was made during the meeting. The discussion focused on the results of the pilot and potential uses of the technology.

The committee also voted to table a separate agenda item concerning police and fire equipment until its next meeting.