Drones now responding to calls for service in Las Vegas valley
Metro Police explain new Drone First Responder Unit, and other drone use in the department.
By Molly McBride
Oct. 23, 2024
Las Vegas police launched their Mobile Drone First Responder Unit earlier this month that could now respond to calls.
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What was once considered a toy is now used as a tool by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to fight crime.
New Drone Unit
Earlier this month, Las Vegas police launched their Mobile Drone First Responder Unit. Now, drones are able to respond to calls for service alongside officers.
Metro’s Drone Program Manager, Steven Oscar, says the unit is not doing random surveillance, they’re only launched when they’re assigned to a call.
Oscar says they respond to high profile calls like active assaults, burglaries or vehicle theft. They’ll also respond to calls where surveillance will give officers a “significant tactical advantage.”
“We can get intelligence in real time to our officers who are responding, and hopefully prevent officer-involved shootings from happening,” said Assistant Sheriff, Dori Koren.
The unit consists of 10 officers and drone pilots. Four of the drone pilots are civilians.
They work in teams of two out of specially-outfitted cars, which include a locker in the back to hold the drone, a white board to outline their missions, and a screen to display what the drone is capturing.
The unit officially launched Oct. 3. Koren says they’ll determine if the unit is successful overtime based on metrics like how often it is deployed, how often it arrives on scene before an officer, and if it’s able to provide officers helpful intelligence.
Other Drone Usage
Oscar says the agency is paving the way for drone technology across the county. As a department, he says they’ve completed over 8,000 flights and have 30 certified drone pilots.
Metro Police use different types of drones to fight different crimes.
Their brand new model called the “SkyRanger” hasn’t been used yet, but Oscar says they intend to use it for surveillance during special events.
He says it can be tethered, and can hover above an event as long as it needs to.
They use their smallest model, the “BRINC,” to send in first during barricades. Oscar says it can use its three different cameras to, hopefully, locate a target without anyone getting injured.
Their “Skydio” drone is the most commonly used model. Oscar says this is the model the newly launched Mobile Drone First Responder Unit uses to respond to calls for service.
“Before an officer arrives, they can get a better picture of what they’re dealing with, how many suspects, what the suspects have, what kind of weapons or if they don’t have weapons,” Koren says.
Limitations
Oscar says the drones have limits. They can be hindered by factors like weather, battery life, speed, and legal boundaries.
He says they can’t fly over private backyards, unless specific conditions are met.
They also can’t fly in restricted airspace, like near Nellis Airforce Base or Harry Reid International Airport.
They work closely with the FAA, and Oscar says they’ve successfully opened up air space. He says Metro’s drone pilots can fly in more restricted airspace than any other commercial or pilot drone pilots in the Las Vegas Valley.
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