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Columbus council hears pitch for yearlong, no‑cost drone first‑responder trial
Summary
Police leaders urged the Columbus City Council to approve a free one‑year pilot of a Flock Air ‘drone first responder’ program that would place six drones around the city and integrate live call data with the real‑time crime center; council asked for attorney review and deferred formal approval pending contract review.
Assistant Chief Lance Deaton of the Columbus Police Department told the City Council that vendors have been vetted and recommended a Flock Air drone first‑responder program for a yearlong trial at no cost to the city. He described tests in which drones reached scenes faster than patrol cars and provided actionable information — for example, assisting officers and EMS at a reported stabbing and enabling safer responses to vehicle pursuits by tracking vehicles from the air. “This is the first true no cost opportunity to establish and evaluate a live DFR program for this city,” Deaton said.
Dea…
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