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Police outline drone-first-responder program: three docked drones cover ~90% of buildings; department seeks expanded staffing
Summary
Commander Diaz told council the drone-first-responder program, launched in 2025, operates three rooftop docking stations with nine trained pilots; drones are used for violent-crime response, search-and-rescue and fire assessment and the department intends to double pilots to provide 24/7 coverage.
Commander Diaz presented an update on the Police Departments Drone First Responder (DFR) program to the Cathedral City council on March 11, saying the program has demonstrated operational benefits and cross-department uses.
Diaz said the department currently operates three docked drones on secure rooftops that, based on launch locations and flight ranges, provide about 90% coverage of buildings in the city. Every flight is logged by pilot, path and time, and video is retained in accordance with the departmentpolicy for body-worn cameras and other records. "Every flight is tracked by date, time, the flight path, and the pilot that was flying at the…
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