ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Drones could start flying to some 911 calls in St. Louis by the end of this week, if the city Board of Police Commissioners signs off on the rules that would govern them.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department scheduled an 11 a.m. Monday briefing at its downtown headquarters to explain its new Aerial Response Unit and how its Drone as First Responder program would work. Proposed policies and special orders for the unit were set to be released Monday morning, and the board is slated to take up those policies Wednesday.
Which kinds of calls would get a drone, and what limits would apply, had not been spelled out ahead of the briefing.
The department first laid out the plan on May 26. It calls for six BRINC drones working from docking stations spread across the North, Central and South Patrol areas, with sites picked based on crime trends, 911 call volume and response patterns. The aircraft carry red and blue emergency lights, thermal imaging and zoom cameras, and tie into 911 operations and the Real Time Crime Center.
The department says the drones are not armed. Private donations routed through the St. Louis Police Foundation are covering the cost, and Chief Robert J. Tracy has said the drones can often reach a scene before officers and give them live information on the way. Police also see uses in search-and-rescue work, disaster response and planning for big events, including the 2028 Olympic matches.
St. Louis is not alone. Other law enforcement agencies in the region are testing or already flying drones of their own, and the department describes its unit as one piece of a wider regional push to share the technology during emergencies. Under the plan, a drone launched from a dock could be over a call within minutes and stream video back to officers who are still driving there.
Section: More St. Louis MO crime news
Filed under: St. Louis MO Public Safety News
