HEMPSTEAD, New York — The Village of Hempstead has announced its police department will launch a drone as a first responder program, PIX11 reported.
The program aims to revolutionize emergency response within the community by deploying drones capable of reaching any location within a 4-mile radius in under three minutes, according to the report.
“It’s a new day and this is the beginning, drone technology,” Hempstead Village Police Chief Richard Holland told PIX11. “…It allows us to get fresh eyes on the scene possibly before a member of the force can get there.”
Developed in collaboration with Flock Safety, the drones are equipped with AI-powered video analytics, according to the report. The system integrates seamlessly with the police department’s existing Flock Safety license plate recognition (LPR) and video camera networks, which the department hopes will enable quicker responses to alerts for stolen vehicles, wanted offenders or missing persons.
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Hempstead Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. highlighted the program’s potential to support local businesses by connecting their security cameras to the police department’s Real Time Information Center.
“Everybody wants to live in a safe and secure community and this is a way we are showing the residents of Hempstead that we’re providing that safety and assurance that they need,” Hobbs Jr. stated.
While the drones will operate exclusively in local airspace and avoid interfering with nearby flight paths to JFK and LaGuardia Airports, the program’s launch awaits approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the report. Officials anticipate the drones will become operational in the coming months.
