SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — The City of South Fulton is about to become the second Georgia city to be part of the Drone First Responder Program. It allows law enforcement to fly a drone remotely to a crime scene.
Brookhaven is the first city in the state to operate in the program. Now, South Fulton hopes it assists them in keeping the community safe while working more efficiently.
The City of South Fulton Police Department currently has seven drones. They plan on getting two more drones soon, but those two will be more advanced.
Having eyes in the sky is crucial for the City of South Fulton Police.
“If you're not having a drone in your city, you're behind the times," South Fulton Police Lt. Charles Cook said.
Lt. Cook and other officers in the department will be able to go to crime scenes without leaving their desks.
“I'll have a drone stationed in a strategic place so that when I hear the call come out, I can actually operate the drone from, say, like in my office in a controlled environment," Cook said.
The remote drones have about a two-mile radius for operations and include thermal imaging to find missing people or suspects hiding in bushes at night.
Lt. Cook said the technology can also reduce response times.
“I can actually fly the drone to the call before an officer is actually dispatched to the call, and hence, if the call turns out to be something not noteworthy or not a crime occurring, then I can actually cancel the officer before the actual officer actually responds to the call," Cook said.
Another benefit of remote drones is the potential to de-escalate a situation.
“If a call comes in and say it's a suspicious person with a weapon, the drone can actually arrive and give us firsthand information," Cook said.
The cost of both drones is about $75,000, but police said the information they'll get from them is priceless.
South Fulton Police will hold test flights in two weeks and expect to launch the remote drone program next year.