Arlington County police address concerns over new drone program
Arlington police gear up for new drone program
Community input is coming in as the Arlington County Police Department prepares to launch a new drone program. They’re the latest law enforcement agency in our area to turn to drones to help keep you safe. FOX 5’s Tisha Lewis has the story from Arlington.
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Arlington County Police Department is addressing the community's concerns after announcing new plans to launch a drone program countywide.
They’re the latest local law enforcement agency to turn to drones to help keep citizens safe.
Arlington police, the sheriff’s office, public safety, and emergency management departments are kicking off the new unmanned aircraft systems program in early 2024.
Police say the program was designed to help officers and first responders get to emergencies quicker.
Montgomery County Police Chief says drone program would get police on scene faster than ever
Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said the department is considering a program that would dispatch drones to 911 calls and crimes in progress.
The drones will only be deployed for specific public safety incidents and missions and police say they will only be operated by trained and authorized personnel.
The ultimate goal is to enhance readiness and make sure the department is prepared with the best tools to respond to calls for help.
Arlington County Police reducing services due to officer shortage
The Arlington County Police Department is reducing services due to a significant reduction in their workforce, Arlington County Police Chief Charles "Andy" Penn said in a video message on Tuesday.
A similar program is already up and running in Montgomery County.
FOX 5 covered the launch of their drone program two months ago. Their drones are also responding to scenes ahead of first responders.
"We’ve heard from the community; One thing that we've heard is a lot of individuals who support the program, that understand the need for public safety, and utilize additional technologies in our community," said Arlington County Police Department's Communication Manager Ashley Savage. "Other concerns that we've heard from the community is just ensuring that we comply with Virginia law and that we're operating with the goal of transparency and ensuring public trust and making sure that we're not doing things like public surveillance, which we are very clear in our policies as well as Virginia law that that's not permitted and will not be part of the program."
Right now, the county’s drone program is under review. The department told FOX 5 they welcome community feedback on the draft policies.