HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Police officers are expanding their drone program to include seven aircraft that can launch from rooftops and arrive at emergency calls lightning fast, providing officers with live video before they reach the scene.
The Howard County Police Department announced Thursday that it is adding a "Drone as First Responder" program, which will position drones in rooftop docking stations across the county.
The drones will be dispatched on emergency service calls, allowing them to bypass traffic and road obstacles that might delay officers responding in patrol vehicles.
Video from the drones will be transmitted to the department's Real Time Information Center, where police can assess conditions and relay information to the officers heading to the scene.
The department launched its original drone program in early 2020.
According to the Howard County Police Department, the additional seven drones and their technology will help officers identify potential hazards, locate suspects, look for weapons and search for missing children or vulnerable adults.
Police said the drones will not be used to routinely patrol neighborhoods or monitor the public. They also will not use facial recognition technology or record audio.
The department is providing additional information about how the program will operate, including privacy protections, through its Drone as First Responder frequently asked questions website.
In addition to the drones, Howard County police plan to introduce several other technologies through an agreement with Axon, the department's existing technology vendor.
The new tools will include immediate translation capabilities to help officers communicate with residents who speak different languages.
Other technology will assist officers with writing reports, collecting and reviewing digital evidence and processing non-emergency requests from the public.
The department said improvements to its non-emergency services are intended to free up dispatchers to focus on urgent 911 calls.
Police expect to introduce the new technology and drone program in phases over the next several months.
Howard County Police has identified the seven planned rooftop docking locations:
These locations were selected based on an analysis of police calls and geographic coverage.
The department also says the program is included in its existing agreement with Axon and will not create additional county costs. Video records will be subject to the same access and retention rules as police body camera footage.
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