In a groundbreaking move, several law enforcement agencies in Colorado plan to deploy drones as first responders to 911 calls, a move that has sparked both excitement and concerns about potential privacy violations.
Colorado law enforcement agencies are embracing the transformative power of drone technology, exploring the possibility of sending drones instead of officers to respond to 911 calls. This innovative approach aims to enhance efficiency, prioritize urgent calls, and provide critical information from incident locations.
Led by the Denver Police Department (DPD), at least 20 agencies in Colorado's Front Range have already incorporated drones into their operations for tasks such as searching for missing persons, tracking fleeing suspects, mapping crime scenes, and conducting surveillance during SWAT operations. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office is now considering expanding this use to include responding to 911 calls where drones can provide valuable initial assessments before officers are deployed.
"This really is the future of law enforcement at some point, whether we like it or not," said Sgt. Jeremiah Gates, who leads the drone unit at the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office. "Sending drones to calls that require less urgency could allow for officers to prioritize more pressing calls."
However, the increased use of drones by law enforcement has raised concerns among civil liberties advocates. Laura Moraff, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, expressed apprehensions about the potential impact on individual freedoms.
"We're worried about what it would mean if drones were really just all over the skies in Colorado," Moraff stated. "We are worried about what that would mean for First Amendment activities, for speech and organizing and protesting — because being surveilled by law enforcement, including by drones, can change the way people speak and protest."
The DPD, which had previously shelved its drone program in 2018 due to constitutional concerns, is now considering a revival thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Denver Police Foundation. According to Phil Gonshak, director of the department's Strategic Initiatives Bureau, the long-term goal is to establish drones as first responders.
"We would never simply replace calls-for-service response by police officers," Gonshak emphasized. "But if there was a fight at Colfax and Cherokee and we put a drone in the air and there is no fight and nothing causing traffic issues, then we would reroute our police officers to other emergent calls."
To address privacy concerns, the DPD plans to create a public-facing dashboard that will allow residents to track police drone flights. This transparency measure aims to alleviate potential fears of personal freedom infringement.
"I could fly the drone over (a reported suspicious vehicle) and say, 'Hey, that vehicle is not out of place,' and I never had to send an officer over to bother them and I can clear it with that," Gates explained. "It's saving resources."
Several police departments outside of Colorado have already embraced drones as first responders, including the city of Chula Vista, California. Since 2018, officers in Chula Vista have avoided responding to over 4,000 911 calls due to drone usage.
As the integration of drones into law enforcement continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how this transformative technology will shape the future of policing, balancing efficiency and resource management with the vital preservation of individual rights.
