The Charlotte Observer obtained the documents through a public records request to the town.
The Lake Norman town paid Texas -based Flock Safety for two First Responder DFR drone systems, according to the sales contract.
The drones can fly as high as 400 feet and are sold to police departments, according to the company website.
The invoice for the drones shows a discount of $314,266.
Mayor Chris Carney said the town received two drones for the price of one because Mooresville was among the first communities in the country to order the new technology.
Drones to Track Suspects
The drones zip along at 58 mph as they track robbery and theft suspects running or driving from the scenes of their crimes, Police Chief Ron Campurciani told the Mooresville Citizens Academyon Sept. 24 .
The six-week academy, free to town residents, gives an inside look at various town departments. A Charlotte Observer reporter signed up for this year’s academy and was present when Campurciani announced the drone initiative.
Their speed means the drones can often get to a crime scene faster than an officer, the chief said. The drone will tail the person until officers arrive, he said.
The drone will be given the description of the suspect as called into police 911 by the person reporting the crime, he said.
The chief said he learned about the drones at police conferences. In 2023, he was elected to a two-year term as executive committee vice chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police midsize agencies division.
The police department is among only 12 in the nation deploying such drones, Campurciani told the citizens academy. He didn’t name the other communities.
Drones Cut Response Times, Company Says
Law enforcement agencies nationwide have cut response times by an average 71% using the drones and increased identifying and finding suspects by 89%, according to a Flock Safety news release in May.
Departments reported resolving 20% of calls using drones, without sending police in patrol cars to scenes, according to the company.
Flock Safety also supplies the most surveillance cameras to continuously record details about vehicles driven across North Carolina , The News & Observer reported last year.
A News & Observer investigation detailed Flock’s growth in the state and documented cases of police misuse and mistakes using license-plate reader surveillance technology.
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