The Denver Police Department has announced a groundbreaking program deploying drones to certain 911 calls instead of officers, mirroring successful initiatives in other Colorado counties.
“The Drone as a First Responder Program utilizes [drones] to respond to calls for service before officers arrive on scene in order to develop a better understanding of the situation on the ground,” the department stated in its Operations Manual.
The technology aims to detect “potential unanticipated hazards to officers and public such as firearms or other weapons,” or “the need for special capabilities or equipment.”
Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office drone unit leader Sgt. Jeremiah Gates endorsed the technology, stating it “really is the future of law enforcement at some point, whether we like it or not.”
This $1.5 million project follows the Denver city council’s decision to cut the department’s police budget by $8.4 million to manage the surge of illegal immigrants in the area, Resist the Mainstream reported.
It also comes on the heels of Denver’s push to turn the blue city into a tax-payer funded illegal immigrant sanctuary, as evident in a recently unveiled step-by-step handbook.
The Operations Manual elaborates that “this increased situational awareness allows the department to better allocate personnel and resources to incident scenes.”
The program additionally “allows the department to better anticipate potential challenges such as the presence of weapons or individuals in crisis and tailor the response appropriately to avoid unnecessary escalation.”
The program expects to launch within 12 months and is funded by a $100,000 grant from the Denver Police Foundation, the Post Millennial reported.
Strategic Initiatives Bureau Director Phil Gonshak told the Denver Post that “it’s beginning to lift off,” with several force members already licensed to fly.
Gonshak explained that “The long-term scope of what we are trying to do is drones as first responders.”
“Basically, having stations on top of each one of our districts so we can respond with drones to critical needs or emergencies that arise throughout the city,” he added.
Gonshak highlighted the technology’s potential to reduce response times, emphasizing that drones would not replace human officers.
“We would never simply replace calls-for-service response by police officers,” he said.
“The DPD would respond to any call for service where someone is physically requesting a police officer on scene, but if there was a fight at Colfax and Cherokee and we put a drone in the air and there is no fight and nothing causing traffic issues, then we would reroute our police officers to other emergent calls,” he continued.
X users swiftly weighed in online following the news.
“Denver police say DRONES will respond to 911 calls instead of cops after city defunded the force by millions,” one user posted. “WTF is a Drone gonna do? Watch me get robbed?”
Another said, “Denver cut it’s police budget to fund the illegal border jumpers demands. If you are a tax paying citizen and call 911…..a flying toy is coming.”
The post Denver Cops To Dispatch Drones Instead Of Officers For 911 Calls Amid Slashed Police Budget appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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