St. Louis Police Unveil Drone First Responder Plan Ahead of November 4 Policy Vote
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in St. Louis, Missouri, held an 11 a.m. briefing at police headquarters on November 2 to explain its Drone as First Responder program and proposed safeguards; the operating policies go before the Board of Police Commissioners on November 4.
According to VOTP News STL, if the policies are approved, drones could begin responding to certain 911 calls before the end of the week. The program is run by the department's Aerial Response Unit, which previously proposed six BRINC drones stationed at docking sites across the North, Central and South patrol areas, with locations selected based on call volume, crime trends and operational needs. Under the proposed model, drones could reach some scenes before officers and transmit live aerial information to help responders evaluate conditions and coordinate resources; police also listed uses such as missing-person searches and disasters, and described the aircraft as non-weaponized.
The Board of Police Commissioners approved a drone acquisition agreement in May, but that decision did not itself approve the operating policies now under consideration. The department circulated its draft special orders on November 2 and said they are also available through its drone program information page. The program has raised questions about privacy, surveillance, access to recorded footage and public oversight; as of Monday morning the board had not taken final action and drones had not begun responding to 911 calls, with any launch this week depending on the November 4 vote.
(Source: VOTP News STL)
Source: VOTP News STL
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：无人机飞行训练（资料图）。美国土地管理局照片，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Drone flight training (file photo). U.S. Bureau of Land Management photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
