Drones as first responders is a growing program in police departments across the country, and Virginia Beach will soon be the first Hampton Roads city to use the technology.
The program will launch at the Oceanfront next year and will help augment the department — which is experiencing staffing shortages, said Brandon Kyle, police services manager who oversees the department’s technological initiatives.
Virginia Beach was short 76 officers as of May 29, according to records obtained by The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press through a Freedom of Information Act request.
On Tuesday, the City Council approved the transfer of $1.3 million from salary savings in the General Fund to purchase the drone equipment. The program will cost $418,000 a year throughout a nine-year contract.
The first responder drones will supplement the department’s plethora of surveillance capabilities in the resort area, which include dozens of pole-mounted cameras on the Boardwalk and Atlantic Avenue, a handful of newly installed automatic license plate readers and drones operated by pilots on the ground.
Virginia Beach also solicits private security camera footage from residents and businesses through its Connect Virginia Beach program, keepvirginiabeachsafe.org.
Other Hampton Roads’ police departments, including Newport News and James City County, are looking into expanding their drone programs to include first response options.
Virginia Beach will purchase six unmanned aircraft systems from Skydio, a company that partners with Axon, the department’s supplier of body worn cameras and other surveillance software.
The drones will be docked on rooftops at the Oceanfront. The specific locations are still being worked out, Kyle said. The drones’ coverage area will stretch from Rudee Inlet to 40th Street and west to Baltic Avenue.
A pilot based at the department’s Real Time Crime Center, inside police headquarters at the Municipal Center, will launch the drone. Deployment time is less than 40 seconds and flight speeds are up to 45 mph. The drone will fly itself along a customized flight path to an address or GPS coordinate, according to Skydio.
It will capture live footage and provide an aerial view before officers arrive. Analysts in the crime center and officers in the field will be able to view the footage, Kyle said.
The funding for the new technology came as Police Chief Paul Neudigate and City Manager Patrick Duhaney expressed concerns to City Council about unsanctioned events and pop-up crowds at the Oceanfront this year. The first responder drones could provide another perspective of issues arising in large crowds, Kyle said.
“We have that tool in our toolbelt if needed,” he said. “If you’re looking from above, you can see a full picture and coordinate resources.”
Once a situation is stabilized, the drone will return to its rooftop docking station. The video footage from drone flights will be cataloged with other evidence and can be used to prosecute crimes, he said.
“We want to stay on the forefront of technology advancements,” said Kyle. “This is just an additional resource on how we can provide better police service.”
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