Arlington PD granted FAA waiver to deploy drones for faster crime response and safety
As technology advances, Arlington Police is changing with the times.
"I believe the most promising technology when it comes to public safety is drones," said Arlington Police Chief Al Jones.
The department said it will now use drones to respond to burglaries, aggravated assaults, missing persons calls and so much more. This change comes after receiving more liberty from the FAA.
"Today, I'm proud to announce that the Arlington Police Department is one of the first few agencies in the United States to be granted a beyond line-of-sight waiver from the FAA," said Arlington police Sgt. Eric Borton.
Back in 2023, the department began testing its drone program by responding to fireworks calls during the 4th of July and New Year's Eve weekends.
At the time, FAA regulations limited how far drones could fly, but with this change, police can now operate drones from inside the Real Time Crime Center and send them further.
"The aircraft can fly about a mile and a half, which is a lot further than they could see in the past," said Borton.
The department has 15 drones and said 40 officers are trained to operate them. Arlington PD also installed two drone docks so officers can instantly launch the device.
"The aircraft can travel up to 35 miles an hour, so in many cases, we are there, the remote pilot in charge is there before the officers get there," said Borton.
Jones believes drone technology can keep officers safe when responding to calls by up to 75-95%, "depending on the information we are able to obtain up in the air."
