GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (WFRV) – The Grand Chute Police Department has added a new fleet to their squad, becoming the state’s first Drone as First Responder program (DFR).
Early results of the program are positive and have become a key way for the officers to assess a call.
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“Not only can we respond quicker, we can provide that information back to the officers to aid in their response,” Captain David Maas said. “But it also gives the officers more information to act upon when on a call.”
Officers must get certification to use the drones. Once certified, officers may fly the drones from the station to see the progress of the call and how many officers will be needed.
“This helps with resource utilization and management. We can use the drone to identify what needs an officer to respond,” Captain Maas said. “[We can determine] how many officers might be required based upon what we see through the drone feed.”
After having the drones out and responding to calls, many within the department are reportedly pleased with the early data, seeing fewer officers going out on calls they normally would have without the assistance from drones.
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“I was able to utilize the drone to go find that suspicious vehicle, I found that person,” Lieutenant Mike Lichtensteiger said. “Turns out that person was doing nothing wrong; it prevented an officer’s response, so officers didn’t even respond to that call.”
The department is hoping to add another drone, allowing them to use that one to assist on calls on the south side of the city.
