Police chief says drone pilot cleared a third of low-priority calls and sped response times

Police Chief Christy Calderwood presented results from a pilot of the department's drone-as-first-responder program conducted January through June 2026. "During that time, the drone made 195 flights and was able to clear 64 calls without having to even send an officer," Calderwood said, adding that the average drone arrival time was about 95 seconds and the program cleared approximately 33% of calls prior to officer arrival.

Calderwood described operational benefits: improved officer safety by providing immediate aerial situational awareness, faster search-and-rescue responses at places such as Calavera Lake, traffic and crash documentation to reduce scene closure times, and lower operating costs than helicopters for certain missions. She cited three recent success stories: a foot pursuit where the drone located a hiding suspect and helped achieve a peaceful resolution; a license-plate-reader (LPR) assisted arrest after a hit for a wanted vehicle; and a courier scam arrest where aerial monitoring documented a cash handoff.

Commissioners asked whether the drones have public-address capability and how many the department operates. Calderwood said some drones can broadcast a PA-style announcement and the department currently has about 15 drones, including small indoor-capable models.

The chief said the drone program can reduce the number of officers dispatched to lower-priority calls and improve safety and evidence collection; the commission did not take formal action but asked follow-up questions about capabilities and limits.