According to the Santa Monica Police Department, since its inception a few years back, the Drone as a First Responder program has provided a huge benefit to public safety in Santa Monica.
The program incorporates a sworn officer pilot who flies the drone from a launch site on the roof of the Public Safety Facility. The officer monitors radio channels and can listen to 911 calls as they come into dispatch. The drone can be airborne almost immediately and has the advantages of being able to take the shortest route to calls and providing an overwatch for additional officers arriving on the ground.
Once on-scene, the pilot can provide updates, check for suspects fleeing and give a direction of travel, and guide in responding officers. All of this significantly increases chances of successfully and safely ending dangerous incidents.
On July 6, the drone was returning to the station from a radio call when the pilot decided to go survey the crowd situation near the Pier and beach lots. As he was flying over Lot 1 North (the large lot just north of the Pier) the pilot noticed a male subject wandering through the lot acting suspiciously.
As he watched, the subject sidled up to an unoccupied parked vehicle, pulled a screwdriver and another tool from the kangaroo pocket in his sweatshirt and quickly punched open the lock on the driver side door. The subject climbed inside the vehicle and spent about two minutes inside the vehicle before exiting.
While he was in the vehicle, the pilot called for officers to respond to the lot. While they were on the way, the suspect used the same tactics to break into another vehicle, this time a truck. By this time, the pilot guided responding officers to the correct row in the parking lot. Officers found the suspect in possession of multiple stolen items and placed him under arrest for vehicle burglary and various other related crimes.
Submitted by the Santa Monica Police Department
