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Davie County sheriff proposes drones-as-first-responder pilot; officials and residents press privacy, data and deployment questions
Summary
Sheriff Hartman outlined a test phase for a drone-as-first-responder program that would use five drones integrated with CAD to reach many calls faster; commissioners heard privacy and data‑use questions and asked staff for policy and protocol details before any deployment.
Davie County’s sheriff presented a proposed test phase for a “drones as first responder” (DFR) program that would place drones in the air to provide immediate aerial intelligence to officers and firefighters, the sheriff said.
The sheriff said an impact analysis using 2024 call data showed 4,398 calls would have been within range of proposed drone bases, with an average expected drone arrival time of 2 minutes 42 seconds compared with an average ground response time of 10 minutes 54 seconds for those calls. The sheriff proposed an initial test area with two drone bases covering the county’s busiest patrol zones and described integration with the county’s CAD and existing camera (LPR) infrastructure.
Proponents said drones offer faster situational awareness for high‑priority calls and can be used by multiple agencies, including fire departments, for tasks such as roof and water‑tower inspections. “The drone can be in route much faster than the officers — it will arrive on scene virtually, which gives us eyes on the scene,” the sheriff said.
Audience members and some commissioners asked about privacy, data retention and who may access live drone feeds. The sheriff said the program would include a public website showing dispatches and flight paths and that license‑plate reader photographs are retained for 30 days; he said Flock camera alerts and drone imagery are limited to investigative uses and tied to NCIC checks for vehicle hits.
The sheriff also said several local fire departments already operate small drone programs and that consolidating resources could increase efficiency and reduce duplication. No countywide policy or purchase was approved at the meeting; commissioners asked staff to provide written policies, privacy safeguards, vendor protocols and interagency agreements before any formal decision.
