Police outline drone program that they say speeds response and reduces patrol deployments

Sergeant Vu presented the Hawthorne Police Department’s drone-as-first-responder initiative, describing the program’s evolution from early rooftop launches to docked drone stations with extended range radar and redundancy. Vu said the program averages more than 100 flights per month, reaches scenes within about 90 seconds on average, and can close nearly one-third of drone‑assisted calls without a ground patrol response.

Vu showed examples — burglary, rooftop subjects, thermal detection at night, suspect apprehensions and fire mapping — and emphasized coordination with firefighters and other agencies. He described how drones give officers timely situational awareness: in some calls the drone arrives before patrol units and relays real‑time intel that helps keep officers and members of the public safer. Vu also addressed privacy and policy: footage is constrained by policy, pilots minimize intrusive camera use en route by pointing at the horizon when possible, and the department is adding radar and multiple launch sites to reduce response time with a stated goal of a one‑minute on‑scene target.

Council members applauded the presentation and asked staff to bring the drone platform to community events. A few members raised privacy and oversight questions; the department said it has a policy and that footage access and use follow legal and departmental limits. Sergeant Vu said the program is used for many public‑safety tasks and is now a standard component of how the department responds to certain calls.