SBPD using drones to help improve response time
SOUTH BEND, IND. --- It's a new tool for the South Bend Police Department to utilize as officers navigate the battle against crime. It's known as DFR, or drone as first responder.
"Flock safety was gracious enough to offer us a one year, no cost pilot of DFR, and again, that points to the successes we have had with the Real Time Crime Center," said Division Chief Dan Skibins of South Bend Police Department.
This year with DFR will be free, but the overall cost if it wasn't would be around $300,000.
Chief Scott Ruszkowski, Operations Division Chief Dan Skibins, and others explaining this new program Wednesday.
Officers will use DFR for multiple types of potentially dangerous situations, including crashes and fires.
The drone can zoom, comes with night and thermal vision, and can reach a top speed of just over 50 miles per hour.
It does not record audio, but it does retain video.
South Bend's Real Time Crime Center has eight trained drone operators on staff.
SBPD has been using the DFR program since earlier this month, but recent erratic weather has made utilizing it a challenge.
"We literally get every weather condition every 15 minutes in our area so they have been amazed, I can tell them, I can speak for them, you can ask them, they're like man I cannot believe you get 70 one minute and then 22 with 60 mile an hour winds so we've run the gambit on testing when it comes to weather conditions," said Chief Scott Ruszkowski.
The battery for these drones lasts about 40 minutes, depending on the weather.
South Bend police may acquire more drones after the pilot program ends, but that decision has not yet been made.
Click here to watch the full press conference,