BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — Could your next 911 call be answered first by a drone instead of an officer?
More and more, the first response by law enforcement is an eye in the sky.
Channel 2’s Michael Doudna shows us how the tech is revolutionizing policing and why some are worried about your privacy.
Drones are being used to solve crimes and save lives.
Now in some areas, drones are the first ones on the scene in two minutes or less, and the use is growing - car thefts, fires and shoplifting.
“Brookhaven, suspect Anthony by the pool,” said a police officer monitoring a drone’s video feed.
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“It’s an absolute game changer. We’ve seen success here in Brookhaven because of it,” said Brookhaven Police Department Capt. Abrem Ayana.
In 2020, Brookhaven Police became the second department in the nation to use drones as first responders, with the original idea of using it for serious calls.
“So, at the time we were looking for a solution that could give us an advantage when looking for missing persons and wanted persons,” said Capt. Ayana.
But then they learned of the possibilities, flying to more than 1,000 calls last year.
Drones caught drug deals on camera.
“Oh yeah, buddy,” said a Brookhaven Police officer.
They captured suspects hiding in ceilings and helped locate suspects who were changing clothes.
“He’s taking it off and blue jeans,” said a Brookhaven Police officer.
“The second benefit is officers have awareness of what’s happening before they arrive on the scene. And so, what we’re seeing is more precise policing,” said Capt. Ayana.
And these drones can respond within seconds. Brookhaven Police said it is the first thing on the scene in at least 70% of cases relaying video real-time to its crime center and officers in the field.
“Because of that short response time, we’re able to catch people literally while they’re still on scene or leaving the scene,” said Capt. Ayana.
Brookhaven Police are not alone as drone as first responder programs expanded to 29 Georgia departments as of October 31.
“Basically for our city, our size, it’s given us a helicopter,” said Dunwoody Police Department Lt. Tim Fecht.
Dunwoody Police launched their drone as first responder program last year.
Lt. Fecht said the technology allows police to see license plates miles away and track shoplifters unaware of the eye in the sky.
“Yeah, they think they’re free and clear, unaware that the drone is above their head and watching them,” said Lt. Fecht.
“Big time saver and a big resource saver,” said Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office deputy Jeff Hall.
Cherokee County said beyond a new perspective, drones can help deputies decide the size of response.
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The tech goes beyond law enforcement as infrared technology can help firefighters identify hotspots even when they can’t see.
“By utilizing the thermal feed from the drone, I was able to look through the smoke and see what the firefighters with their own eyes could not see,” said Hall.
But the concern is where the line between safety and your privacy is.
“Oh, that is a fine line that this could shift very easily over time,” said Emory University Professor Rajiv Garg.
He said with new technology many decisions are left to each department to set their own standards.
“For your safety, we are tracking you,” said Professor Garg.
For example, in Bryan County the sheriff is currently using drones to watch roads to see if people are texting and driving or not wearing their seat belts.
But Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Cherokee all said they have guardrails in place, and they only use drones for a specific call and never for general monitoring or surveillance.
“We do not utilize it for general oversight flights. We do not have any type of facial recognition technology on the drones,” said Hall.
As the technology becomes more affordable, more departments are starting or expanding their programs.
“I think in the next five years there’s probably going to be a drone on most calls that go out for service,” said Lt. Fecht.
Brookhaven is expanding its drone unit.
The department will soon have the entire city accessible by drone within 90 seconds.
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