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Commander describes Lexington police drone program, expanded to patrol in 2024
Summary
A commander for the hazardous devices unit outlined how Lexington police began using drones for public-safety work in 2018, deployed the first unit for the bomb squad in 2021 and expanded to patrol drones in 2024, assigning one drone to each patrol sector to give commanders a rapid aerial view of active scenes.
A commander of the hazardous devices unit described how Lexington police began exploring drones for public safety in 2018 and moved from research to operations after obtaining grant funding. "We purchased our first drone in 2020 and implemented it in early 2021 for the bomb squad," the commander said, explaining the technology gives incident commanders a quick, third-person view they said officers on the ground do not always have.
The commander said the unit later widened use to support the emergency response unit and negotiators, and in 2024 the department launched a patrol drone program to put an immediate aerial resource in each patrol sector. "The drone is there to provide that immediate response," the commander said, adding the department keeps longer‑endurance manned aircraft for missions that require range or altitude the small drones cannot provide.
A patrol officer on the committee described operators on patrol and said the drone helps at fast-moving scenes where seconds matter. Staff and committee members in the meeting asked about training, equipment capabilities and how drones are integrated with existing aviation and emergency-response assets.
City staff and committee members did not record a formal policy vote in the meeting minutes excerpted in the transcript; the commander said the rollout grew from the hazardous devices unit’s early adoption and grant-funded purchases. He described the primary uses as scene safety assessments, situational awareness for entering teams and support for negotiators and bomb technicians.
The department’s presentation did not include detailed policy text about retention of video, public-access procedures, or community notice; committee members focused their questions on operations, staffing and how the drones would supplement — not replace — existing manned aircraft.
