Grand Chute Police have added DFR (Drone as a First Responder) program to the department. The home base docking station is outside the police department's building. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Green Bay Common Council approved Tuesday night a $1.3 million contract to lease two first responder drones.
The goal is to increase efficiency within the Green Bay Police Department, which — like many law enforcement agencies nationwide in recent years — has been consistently understaffed, running 10-18 officers short due to hiring struggles.
GBPD says the fully-automated drones could, in some situations, clear 911 calls without police ever responding to the scene. The drones will also provide officers with a birds-eye view of locations.
An analysis from Flock, the company Green Bay will lease its drones from, shows in 2024, there were 4,248 calls for service that could have been cleared by a drone without a patrol response. That equals the work of almost two full time officers — an estimated value of $241,807.
That compares to the $170,000 annual cost of the drone program, which goes up to $190,000 in the final two years of a five-year contract.
The drones won’t be able to cover the entire city, so they are being strategically placed to cover as much ground as possible. One would go on the east side, on the roof of Fire Station 2 at Webster and University. The other would be on the west side at a location yet to be determined.
The drones will likely be ready in early spring.
What Green Bay is looking to do with these drones has already been in practice at the Grand Chute Police Department.
Comments