Progress has always impacted the way police operate.
Radios changed communication. Patrol cars changed response times. Computers changed investigations and record keeping. Cellphones, databases and body cameras all reshaped modern policing.
Today we are faced with technology moving at light speed, creating a new landscape for how law enforcement does its work. One of those tools is the drone.
What first gained attention as a military craft is now everywhere. Drones are used for everything from spectacular light shows replacing fireworks displays to surveying land and assisting firefighters.
Movie studios and television stations use them because they are less expensive and more maneuverable than helicopters. The Trib uses drones to capture photographs and video that show the beauty of Western Pennsylvania and give readers a broader view of community issues such as construction projects and traffic patterns.
So of course there is a place for drones in law enforcement. It would be ridiculous to think otherwise.
Police departments already rely on evolving technology every day, and drones offer clear advantages. They can give officers a view of dangerous situations without immediately putting people in harm’s way. They can help locate missing people faster, survey hazardous scenes and provide rapid information during large events or emergencies.
In the Pittsburgh region, departments already are using drones for search-and-rescue missions, crowd monitoring, accident reconstruction and tactical situations.
This is not just for state police or larger cities. Smaller departments like Harrison are finding ways to use this technology to support difficult-to-cover terrain.
We have concrete examples of success, like the way officers used drones to respond to reports of a man on a roof during the NFL Draft. A drone helped police quickly confirm the man was a media photographer, not a threat.
Allegheny County Police used a drone to locate a nonverbal autistic child who went missing in September. These are exactly the kinds of situations where technology can improve outcomes for both the public and first responders.
What is important as the technology spreads is to build guardrails for what can and can’t be done with it. That isn’t about a lack of trust in police use. It is about proactive respect for both the agencies and the technology before concerns arise.
Pittsburgh has shown that with policies outlining when and where drones can be utilized.
This is the perfect opportunity for every community — and every police department — to build in that infrastructure. When working with something new, there is an opportunity to map out exactly what could go wrong. It is a chance to brainstorm beneficial ways to integrate the technology for the common good.
Drones can be as seamless and supportive an innovation for police as they are for agriculture, real estate and mining — if communities are willing to build the right framework around them.
