2023 brought one more tool to the Montgomery County Police Department’s fight against crime.
MCPD’s Drone as First Responder Program enables one drone to help respond to a call in the downtown business areas of Silver Spring and Wheaton.
The drones, which use the call sign Raven, zero in on incidents once the police have been notified. They are not flying around looking for crime, the police stressed.
So far, the drones have helped police follow suspects as they leave the scene of a crime, enabling officers to head right to the perpetrator, thereby requiring fewer officers and less time to deal with the situation.
The drone also flew right up to where someone was reported to be considering committing suicide by gun, only to discover the man had a lighter, not a gun. Because police were told the man had a gun, the situation could have turned violent, they said.
MCP has been using drones since 2020 in a limited capacity, including finding missing people.
The pilot program cost $350,000. If successful, the police expect to request additional funds in Fiscal Year 2025 to expand to other parts of the county.
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