By WMBD TV
NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — The Normal Police Department is looking to start a first responder drone pilot program.
The program would allow NPD to use a drone to assess crime or traffic scenes to respond safely and quickly.
“The drone first responder program allows us to get eyes on specific crimes or accidents or other reasons to allow our officers to really respond more appropriately for their safety, for the community safety, and also to give them time to handle the situation in a better manner,” said Brad Park, public information officer for the NPD.
The program won’t just serve the police, but other first responders as well.
“The drones will be there much quicker than officers can respond by driving through traffic. They can provide information not only to police but also to other first responders,” Park said. “Fire rescue, maybe how to respond to an accident scene, what roads need to be closed off to give everybody a safe work area.”
“Also, what fire and rescue know is the best route to get there, to provide lifesaving care as quickly as possible.”
Overall, the drones will increase public safety for everyone in Normal.
Our goal is always to have as much information as possible to respond to the calls, whether it’s an accident or a crime in progress, to not only give our officers more information for their safety, how to respond, how to react, but also to help victims in those situations, so we can get there, possibly help us identify the suspects,” Park said.
The program is still in its early phases. The department is working with vendors to identify a drone that best suits their needs. They are also looking for grant money to fund the program.
This story was originally reported by WMBD-TV and published on CIProud.com.
