Chesterfield now using drones to assist emergency response; emphasizes privacy measures are in place
The Chesterfield County Police Department is adding drones to its first responders lineup, which officials say will allow them to assess emergency situations quicker.
These drones have the capacity to “arrive on scene within minutes,” according to a press release, “often before ground units.” Once there, the drones will then transmit video back to human first responders to help them plan their approach.
Over the next five years, the program is expected to cost Chesterfield $900,000.
“These drones will be dispatched to priority calls for service, including robberies, active threats, missing persons, fires and other time‑sensitive emergencies,” the release reads.
The county emphasized the steps it will take to protect residents’ privacy while using the drones. When the drones launch, their cameras begin as level with the horizon, and operators will then adjust the sights to the target of its emergency call.
“We’re not looking in people’s backyards. We’re not looking at what their kids are doing in their backyards,” Chesterfield County Police Sergeant Chris Lee said Tuesday. “We’re looking right away at that call for service and whatever the public safety issue is in front of us.”
The department said these drones won’t conduct random surveillance or patrol (and, no, there aren’t firearms attached to them). They’ll primarily be deployed in scenarios where responder safety is at risk.
The drone’s flight logs are available online. Deployment has to comply with Virginia code, which generally requires law enforcement agencies to obtain a search warrant before using unmanned aircraft systems, with exceptions for emergencies, training and other specified circumstances.
Drones will operate 100- to 200-feet in the air so a parachute can deploy in case they malfunction and fall. Drones will deploy from three docking stations: Meadowbrook High School, A.M. Davis Elementary School and Manchester Middle School.
Chesterfield isn’t the first locality in Virginia or the country to adopt a program like this — though it is the first in Central Virginia.
During a Monday press conference, Police Chief Edward Carpenter, Jr. said county officials consulted with six other Virginia jurisdictions, particularly Fairfax County, as they developed the program.
“This is something that’s happening all over the country,” Carpenter said during a Monday press conference. “We found that time is of the essence, and a lot of times we’re restricted with traffic conditions, weather conditions, etcetera. This tool allows us to get on scene, provide real-time intelligence.”
Contact Eleanor Shaw at eshaw@richmonder.org. She is a Report for America corps member.
