Drone as First Responder (DFR): A Short Report on a DFR Program in an American Police Agency

Abstract Police agencies are increasingly incorporating drones into their policing operations. Very recently, some police agencies have begun to use drones as a form of first responder: deploying drones to calls for police service on first instance and without specific solicitation from ground-level units. Drawing upon data from a mid-size, municipal police agency in California, I provide a snapshot of how a drone as first responder (DFR) program operates in contemporary policing. My analyses reveal that DFR units are quick to arrive at calls for service: frequently arriving before any ground-level units and sometimes even clearing calls without the need for any attendance by ground-level units. My analyses also reveal that the types of calls for service that DFR units attend are diverse and include an array of call-types, with many such calls involving reports, offenses, and arrests. I discuss my findings regarding this emerging form of technology with respect to policing research and practice. I also make a call for future research in this domain.