Jul. 8—ROCHESTER — The Rochester Police Department is expanding its drone program after receiving a Mayo Clinic Community Engagement Grant.
Over the next five years, RPD will launch the ‘Drone as First Responders’ (DFR) program. The program will provide law enforcement with real-time video and data before officers arriving on the scene.
The grant allows for two DFR drones, docks, equipment and software. The drones, which are set to be docked in two “strategic” locations within Rochester, will respond to in-progress incidents and provide dispatch with live video footage of the scene.
The two drones would act as “first responders” to in-progress incidents, covering two-thirds of the city, RPD Chief Jim Franklin said during a city council meeting on Monday, July 7.
According to Franklin, the DFR program is being rolled out across the country with cities, like Chula Vista, New York City and Los Angeles, already using the drones. Rochester would be the second city in Minnesota to begin using DFR drones — funding for law enforcement drone efforts in Minnetonka was approved in June.
“What they’re finding is the drones are definitely beating the police officers onto the scene and providing real-time information back to the officers who are responding,” Franklin said at the meeting.
During the meeting, Franklin said drone usage is not a new project for RPD. The department has been flying drones since 2017.
Franklin said RPD’s nine drones and 15 drone pilots have helped officers deescalate situations and locate suspects and vehicles.
For example, Franklin said, one caller reported hearing gunshots. A drone was sent to the location while officers were en route. Ultimately, the drone relayed information that a firearm wasn’t involved — a person was just being loud.
“Information is power in these very complex, fluid and dynamic situations,” Franklin said.
More recently, RPD launched a drone to an apartment complex on 41st Street Northwest on July 3 in response to the fatal shooting, Franklin said.
While the drones were able to deliver real-time data from the scene, the process of launching the drone was “time-intensive and resource-intensive,” he said at the meeting. An officer with the drone had to drive to a secure location and manually launch the drone to the scene.
The DFR drones will be able to autolaunch while drone pilots access the data remotely. In addition to live video footage from the scene, the DFR drones will use augmented reality overlays for visual orientation and are capable of uploading evidence for law enforcement.
However, Franklin said, non-criminal video footage would be deleted within seven days, if not earlier.
When a drone is in flight and responding to an incident, Franklin said the drone will be pointed at the horizon rather than looking down at a 45-degree angle.
In regard to other public safety concerns, Franklin noted the drones will not be used for general surveillance, and flight data will be available through a transparency portal. The drones also include crash-prevention technology that will allow for easier coordination with other Rochester air traffic.
The Rochester City Council granted RPD permission to accept the $467,000 grant that will fully cover the DFR program funding until 2030. Franklin said the program will be reassessed in 2030.
“What law enforcement looks like today is not what it’s going to look like in five years.”
Over the next five years, Franklin said he sees the DFR program as a citywide initiative and hopes to use it for the Rochester Fire Department and Rochester’s Emergency Management.
“This is not just a police tool,” Franklin said at the meeting.
For example, drone technology could allow emergency management to pinpoint storm damage and road closures. They could help RFD navigate hotspots in a house fire. Drones can also be critical in searching for missing children, he said.
RPD’s Amanda Grayson said the department will likely receive the drones and begin using them in November, though they do not have a specific date at this time.