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Last Update: 11/01/2026 at 11:33 PM EST
LAPD Drones Reach Scenes First
Coverage from Daily News, GovTech, and others
The Los Angeles Police Department is expanding a drone-as-first-responder program that sends small camera- and infrared-equipped quadcopters to emergency scenes, often before patrol officers arrive.
LAPD reports more than 3,000 deployments and says drones reach calls before patrol units about 73% of the time, providing early information on suspects, weapons, vehicles, crashes, and missing people. The program is moving toward a larger and potentially full-time operation while facing limits involving battery endurance, connectivity, crashes, privacy, and public oversight.
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All Articles7 articles
Important
LAPD reported thousands of Drone as First Responder deployments in 2025 to support emergency calls and high-risk operations, with collision mitigation changes after two incidents.
4/28/2026 • Public Safety, Emergency Response & Government Use • General
Los Angeles Police Department deployed infrared night-vision quadcopter drones more than 3,500 times in a first-responder pilot starting in July, and plans fleet expansion amid oversight and crash reports.
4/28/2026 • Public Safety, Emergency Response & Government Use • General
Los Angeles Police Department officials reported thousands of drone first-responder deployments since a July pilot launch and outlined fleet expansion plans after commission review.
4/28/2026 • Public Safety, Emergency Response & Government Use • General
Interesting
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said a municipal drone pilot launched nearly a year ago dispatches drones before patrol units to aid emergency response.
7/26/2026 • Public Safety, Emergency Response & Government Use • General
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell reported first-responder drone pilot results, including 42 mph response and delayed recording to address privacy concerns in Los Angeles.
7/25/2026 • Public Safety, Emergency Response & Government Use • General
Additional
Jim McDonnell reported Los Angeles Police Department drones improved emergency arrival times and supported missing-child and crime-scene assessment under a near-yearlong pilot in Los Angeles.
7/25/2026 • Public Safety, Emergency Response & Government Use • General
Los Angeles Police Department expanded a permanent drone-as-a-first-responder program in Los Angeles from 13 to 26 electric quadrotors.
7/24/2026 • Public Safety, Emergency Response & Government Use • General