Dallas police adding extra drones to combat staffing shortfall
DPD adding extra drones amid staffing shortage
The lieutenant over the Air Support Unit says the drones are helping to keep both officers and residents safe.
DALLAS - The Dallas Police Department is expanding its drone program.
Adding extra drones will help the department as it faces staffing shortfalls.
The lieutenant over the Air Support Unit says the drones are helping to keep both officers and residents safe.
What we know:
The Dallas Police Department currently has a fleet of 139 drones consisting of several different models used in a variety of scenarios.
At the public safety meeting on Monday, the DPD Air Support Unit said drones increase officer safety by exposing unseen dangers and can help keep residents safe at large outdoor events.
"We use the drones anywhere that is beneficial to have an eye in the sky," said Dallas Police Lt. Adam Georgitso.
Drones can be used in aerial searches for missing persons or over large outdoor protests, like the previous ones in Downtown Dallas.
Each drone flight is staffed with a licensed pilot and visual observer.
By the numbers:
Last year, the department flew the drones nearly 8,000 times.
DPD currently has 156 officers licensed as pilots and 186 who are visual observers. Both have to be present anytime a drone is launched outdoors.
The drones must fly below 400 feet and be within a line of sight.
Indoor flights are not subject to these restrictions.
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What they're saying:
"I think this is the future, and I love that you are embracing it to help extend the force," said Dallas City Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn.
"This is exactly the type of innovation and technology that we have to invest in, especially with the limited number of officers that we have," said Dallas City Councilmember Jesse Moreno.
"What we're seeing across the United States, it's an increase of police departments relying on these drones," said Tarleton State University Criminologist Alex Del Carmen. "They are certified through the FAA to be able to handle those drones. So the misuse of those drones is rather limited, and the circumstances by which they can actually invasiveness privacy is being reduced substantially by virtue of the law and their training."
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Dig deeper:
The Texas Data Privacy and Security Act is the baseline for departmental policy, requiring that video or images will only be recorded if one of the following criteria are met: felony, life or death circumstances, warrant executions or consent.
What's next:
Some of the plans for the future include the use of drones with sensors.
With the FAA's approval, Dallas police officers would be able to operate within a larger area without the use of visual observers since the sensors would take over that role.
The police department says it doesn't have an exact number of how many new drones could be added since it's still pricing out the drones with sensor technology. It will have to present a proposal to the Dallas City Council in the coming months.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Monday's Dallas Public Safety Committee meeting and an interview with Tarleton State University Criminologist Alex Del Carmen.