Clovis Police now using drones as ‘first responders’
**Clovis Police Department Introduces Drone First Responders to Enhance Public Safety**
CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) – The Clovis Police Department has launched a new initiative using drones as first responders to improve emergency response and public safety.
Lieutenant Josh Richards, who oversees the program, told Action News, “It’s also a great tool for de-escalation, and our response times are going to increase drastically.”
As of Wednesday, two drones are actively in service. Action News was given an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how these drones operate within the department’s newly unveiled Real-Time Information Center.
During a simulation, the live feed from a drone appeared within seconds of takeoff. “We have our pilot in there, we have our analysts in there,” Richards explained. “They both have access to the radio, so they can put out information over the radio — descriptions of suspects, things like that — to the officers.”
Unlike previous drone units used by the department, these Drone First Responders will be pre-positioned strategically across the city to reduce flight times. This setup allows pilots to operate drones miles away without maintaining a line of sight. Flying several hundred feet in the air, the drones are designed to be barely noticeable from the ground.
Addressing privacy concerns, Action News asked Clovis Police Chief Curt Fleming about the possibility of drones being used for surveillance. The chief was clear in his response: “You can hear it from me, recorded, that will not occur.”
Chief Fleming also emphasized transparency, pledging that all drone flight logs will be made public. These logs will be posted online within two hours of each flight and will include flight paths and the nature of calls.
When asked why transparency is so important, Chief Fleming stated, “Me personally, as a citizen, I don’t want the government or somebody else flying over my house and spying into it.”
The chief expressed optimism about the positive impact of the drone program, adding, “We’re providing our officers with real information that’s going on, potentially saving us from having to escalate or use force that we don’t need to use.”
The introduction of drone first responders marks a significant step forward in how the Clovis Police Department leverages technology to keep the community safe while maintaining accountability and respect for residents’ privacy.
https://abc30.com/post/clovis-police-now-using-drones-first-responders/17836534/
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