A South Florida police department has extended a pilot program to use advanced drones to help fight crime.
The $240,000 contract between the Coral Gables Police Department and Bond Air Guardian was approved by the City Commission through May 2024.
Bond provides the pilots and upkeep of the drones which are being used to assist on non-emergency calls and large city events.
With the average non-emergency response time at just more than eight minutes in Coral Gables, Chief Ed Hudak says the drones can respond much faster than an officer on the ground but aren’t meant to replace a police officer.
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“This gets there in two minutes with one drone,” Hudak said. “Even before our officers get dispatched, we know the latitude and longitude so they can launch the drone. We can see it before the people even get there.”
Hudak says the drones are especially useful at night to see through the city’s challenging tree canopy. It also provides real-time video to officers on the ground who can coordinate with fellow first responders.
The drones are equipped with six propellors instead of four. They also come with a megaphone, spotlight, siren and infrared imaging.
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A parachute is attached to help land the drone safely in the event of power loss. The drones can fly for about 35 minutes, according to Bond CEO and Founder Doron Kempel.
“Not all drones can carry that payload. Not all drones have a parachute. Not all drones have six propellors,” Kempel said. “Not all drones can carry the payload at the distance and speed that is required.”
Hudak pointed out the privacy controls in place, including encrypted video that is sent to the Cloud. He says the drones will only be used for active calls, not hovering surveillance.
Police officers don’t pilot the drones. Bond has its own FAA-certified pilots who control the drones when alerted to a call by a shift commander.
“If it helps me save an autistic child from getting attracted to waters, if it helps me find an elderly person who is wandering…stops subjects from breaking into cars at 3 in the morning, that’s worth every penny,” Hudak said.
Bond has also launched an app for citizens to use, separate from the police department’s pilot program. Users can request a drone to follow them if they feel they’re in danger.
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