CARMEL — The future of public safety may be getting its start in Carmel.
The Carmel Police Department has launched its Drone First Responder program as an addition to its existing Carmel Police Air Support Unit.
"We respond to a call for service just like a patrol officer would, oftentimes arriving well ahead of the officers. We find our average response time is around 90 to 120 seconds and once the drone is on scene, then we can then begin relaying information to the officers that are responding to make their response more effective and safer," explained Carmel Police Sergeant Tim Byrne.
Just a couple weeks in, Byrne says the program is already seeing results.
"We're seeing a lot of wins in utilizing this technology," Byrne explained. "If we can dispatch a drone to a call and potentially clear that call before an officer arrives, it allows them to get back into service and be available for other, maybe higher priority calls that they can address."
The drones launch from a base in central Carmel and travel at 400 feet or less to the address of the incident.
The drone can be controlled remotely from a computer at Carmel's police headquarters.
"This gives us the ability to really zoom in tightly and see exactly what it is they may be holding or have in a waistband or a pocket or what you have and then we can relay that information to the officers again so that they can adjust their response accordingly," explained Byrne as he displayed the program.
Byrne says one major benefit of the program is improved officer safety in dangerous situations.
"Having the ability to do that, really is a huge officer safety advantage for us," he said.
