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Auburn Police Start Drone First Responder Pilot Program
The program uses two Skydio X10 drones and recorded every mission, with 47.1% of responses arriving before officers, police said.
- The Auburn Police Department launched a drone first responder trial using Skydio X10 drones, scheduled to run through Oct 9. Each mission ties to a 911 call, utilizing two automated docking stations.
- Recently, the Federal Aviation Administration granted a waiver allowing trained operators to conduct flights beyond visual line of sight . This enables officers to operate drones from a police station rather than being present at incident scenes.
- When dispatched, drones travel along a safe flight path automatically. Once reaching approximately 300 feet from the scene, operators take manual control; police note cameras remain pointed toward the horizon to avoid recording areas not observable to the public.
- Auburn Police drones have completed more than 50 flights so far. In 47.1% of responses, the drone arrived before officers, and 88.2% of missions provided helpful intelligence, including recent assistance tracking a motorcycle theft suspect.
- Other regional agencies are expanding similar programs rapidly. The Snohomish County Sheriff started a program this month, Bellevue Police plan a pilot this fall, Redmond Police launched one in 2024, and The Kent Police Department plans implementation in 2027.
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Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber+13 Reposted by 13 other sources
Auburn Police start drone first responder pilot program
The Auburn Police Department has started a trial program using two drones as first responders, getting to an incident before officers or to provide additional intelligence.
·Vashon, United States
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Auburn Police say drone helped stop motorcycle theft before officers arrived
Auburn Police say a department drone helped officers locate a suspicious person and intervene before a motorcycle could be stolen.Police said that officers received a report of a suspicious person tampering with a motorcycle. The department deployed its Skydio Drone as First Responder system, commonly referred to as DFR, to the call.
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