A new piece of technology has been added to the arsenal of the Yonkers Police Department (YPD) with the launch of its Drone as a First Responder (DFR) pilot program. The YPD had committed to a 60-day pilot program to study using the technology to enhancement public safety operations.
The department put into operation a drone equipped with high-definition cameras and thermal imaging. The thermal imaging heat-sensitive feature can be used in police work such as tracking suspects at night or locating missing or lost persons.
The DFR program was implemented in partnership with Motorola Solutions Inc., Flying Lion Inc., Westchester Drone Ops, and St. Joseph’s Medical Center. When the drone is needed, it will be launched from the roof of St. Joseph’s Medical Center and be jointly operated by a pilot on the roof with the drone as well as a pilot controlling it remotely from the police department’s AWARE Crime Control Center.
The drone being used in the pilot program is a DJI M300 unit. It can stream real-time video to officers and supervisors in the field to view on smartphones and laptops so responders can see the emergency scene before arriving. This is expected to help responders evaluate the resources needed and prepare the proper operational response even before they arrive on-scene.
To maintain the highest level of trust and transparency with the community, YPD plans to publish flight logs on its website to show the community how the drone is being used. The logs will include the date, time and duration of flights, flight paths, and the reason for the each flight.
Mayor Mike Spano said that Yonkers was the first and currently the only municipality in Westchester County utilizing this program.
“By keeping up with evolving technology, we have another tool that allows us to serve our community in a way we never have been able to before,” Spano said. “This will allow for more informed decisions, a bird’s eye view, and an unmatched advantage in critical situations.”
According to Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza, “This new technology transforms traditional police response by allowing our officers to view a scene while responding, giving them vital information that can be used to make more informed decisions upon arriving.”
Michael J. Spicer, president and CEO of Saint Joseph’s Medical Center, said that Saint Joseph’s is honored to serve as the launching pad for the drone.
The pilot program will operate five days per week, eight hours per day, through August 31. Then, an assessment of the operation will be conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of this technology in Yonkers, as well as an overall program assessment and plan to move toward a full-time operation.
