If you’re in trouble in Dearborn, Michigan, your first responder might be a drone. The Detroit suburb announced this week that it is launching a first-in-the-state program with drone manufacturer Skydio that will see unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed to respond to incidents before local law enforcement is on the scene. Hopefully, it works out better than deploying the ED-209 did for the citizens of Detroit in “RoboCop.”
According to a press release from the city, stations will be set up across the city, where drones can be deployed to a scene “within 2.5 minutes.” They’ll provide law enforcement with real-time footage of the situation, which the city said would improve decision-making, reduce uncertainty, and “help officers respond more safely and effectively to complex, fluid situations and emergencies.” The drones will supposedly be sent to respond to reports of violent crimes, traffic crashes, missing persons, and vehicle and property break-ins.
“This program will enable us to assess situations almost instantly when someone calls for help,” Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin said in a statement. “By supporting our officers in real-time as critical situations develop, it acts as a force multiplier, ensuring we cut down on response time, allocate resources appropriately, and provide robust service every time.”
The city believes the drones will help to “increase de-escalation” by letting cops see what kind of situation they are walking into ahead of time, “thereby decreasing use-of-force likelihood and resolving calls safely for all involved.” Seems like maybe police should just be significantly less likely to escalate in the first place, but hey, if it works.
The city also said that, when possible, the drones will be used to resolve situations remotely. What that means exactly is kinda unclear. Maybe they shout at someone committing a break-in, and they run away? Deploy a net? The city is already reportedly experiencing a significant decrease in crime, so hopefully the drones won’t have to break up any violent fights or anything.
Dearborn isn’t the first city to team up with Skydio for a program like this. St. Louis has a similar program, as does Albuquerque. It’s hard to say exactly how well these programs work—the police forces all seem to love them—but it’s worth noting that, according to Police Scorecard, St. Louis Police Department and Dearborn Police Department, and Albuquerque Police Department are all among some of the most expensive forces on a per person basis in the country and all score poorly in the rate of force used during arrests. So the drones might be pricey, but it might be a positive for the citizens to have to deal with police less often.
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