The Delta Police Department (DPD) announced Thursday it’s launching an initiative to use drones as a response tool for certain emergencies.
The DPD says the ‘Drone as First Responder’ (DFR) program aims to enhance community safety and improve response times by deploying airborne drones.
“Equipped with high-resolution cameras and real-time video streaming capabilities, the drone will be dispatched to the scene of emergencies, allowing officers to assess situations from the air before arriving on the ground. This will enable faster and more informed decision-making, ultimately improving response times and outcomes,” the department said in a release.
The DRF program, the DPD says, builds on the department’s existing use of drones. In August 2021, the DPD announced the use of drones to target street racing on Tsawwassen First Nation lands and in the area of Highway 17.
It says the DFR program will be informed by a comprehensive Privacy Impact Assessment, “ensuring that all drone use by the Delta Police Department complies with legal privacy requirements and fosters public trust.”
The department says its own policy governs the use of drones to ensure that they are only deployed in “appropriate situations,” and that recorded data is handled confidentially.
The DPD was given an over $57 million operating budget by the City of Delta for 2024 — more than any other city department.