New drones help San Bernardino police respond faster and improve safety

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- The San Bernardino Police Department says its new drones are helping officers respond more quickly to calls for service and improving situational awareness in the field.

The department incorporated drone technology into its real-time information center about two months ago. Since then, drones have responded to more than 500 calls, according to Capt. Nelson Carrington.

“They get up and they’re straight to wherever the location that we direct them to,” Carrington said.

Carrington said the drones are arriving significantly faster than officers in many cases.

“Our average response time with the drones, it’s getting there over 70% faster than our officers can. In addition to that, it’s already cleared 17% of the calls without the officers even having to respond,” he said.

Department officials said the drones help maximize resources. The aircraft are operated by trained drone operators at police headquarters who have access to calls for service and remain in contact with dispatchers and responding officers.

Carrington pointed to a recent case at a gas station as an example of how the technology can assist investigations.

“Our drone operators actually directed, they watched the suspect remove something from a vehicle and place it, I want to say it was on top of a gas pump,” Carrington said. “They were able to direct the officers in to the suspects as well as to where the narcotics were at. They were able to get the narcotics and the suspect in custody.”

Officials said the drones are often the first eyes on a scene, providing officers with real-time information before they arrive.

“With this available in my patrol car, it is definitely a game changer, one for catching the bad guys and 2, obviously, for my safety as well,” said Nathaniel Kolonics, a San Bernardino police officer.

Carrington said the technology can enhance officer safety by helping identify threats and locate suspects.

“It absolutely upgrades the safety. They can notice if there’s people out with firearms, where a suspect may be, where they may be hiding. Our drones are equipped with thermal imaging so they can actually see a suspect in the dark based on their body heat,” he said.

Department officials describe the drone program as part of a broader effort to use technology and data to improve service to the community.

“We’re getting better, we’re getting more efficient, but we’re not done yet, we’re gonna keep doing more,” Carrington said.