The Denver Police Department has recently unveiled a pioneering program that will employ drones as first responders to specific 911 calls, replacing the traditional deployment of police officers.
This innovative initiative mirrors similar programs that have been successfully implemented in various counties across Colorado.
This strategic move, projected to cost over $1.5 million, comes on the heels of Denver's progressive city council's decision to cut the police department's budget by $8.4 million. This budget reduction is part of a broader strategy to accommodate the unprecedented surge of undocumented immigrants into the region.
The department's Operations Manual elaborates on the new program, stating, "The Drone as a First Responder Program utilizes [drones] to respond to calls for service before officers arrive on scene in order to develop a better understanding of the situation on the ground." The manual further notes that the advanced technology could be instrumental in identifying "potential unanticipated hazards to officers and public such as firearms or other weapons," or discerning "the need for special capabilities or equipment."
The manual further explains that the enhanced situational awareness provided by the drones "allows the department to better allocate personnel and resources to incident scenes," and "anticipate potential challenges such as the presence of weapons or individuals in crisis and tailor the response appropriately to avoid unnecessary escalation."
The program's launch has been facilitated by a generous $100,000 grant from the Denver Police Foundation, and it is anticipated that drones will be operational within the next 12 months.
While the full implementation of drones for these purposes is still in the future, Phil Gonshak, the Director of the Strategic Initiatives Bureau, told the Denver Post that the program is "beginning to lift off." He noted that several force members are already licensed to operate the drones. Gonshak outlined the long-term vision of the initiative, stating, "Basically, having stations on top of each one of our districts so we can respond with drones to critical needs or emergencies that arise throughout the city." He suggested that the technology would expedite the department's response time to calls for help, but stressed that drones are not intended to replace human officers. "We would never simply replace calls-for-service response by police officers," he said.
In a neighboring county, Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office drone unit leader Sgt. Jeremiah Gates echoed Gonshak's sentiments, stating that drone technology "really is the future of law enforcement at some point, whether we like it or not."
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