By Jameson Cook
Voice News, New Baltimore, Mich.
MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office’s pilot program for drone response to incidents in Macomb Township paid off on its first day with the arrest of a young man speeding on an electric bicycle.
The Drone First Responder program was being demonstrated Tuesday when deputies lost contact with a speeding e-bike in the same area then put a drone into action, sheriff’s officials said in a press release.
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With its “advanced autonomous tracking … the drone maintained a continuous lock on the suspect even as the individual navigated through narrow residential paths and areas inaccessible to traditional patrol vehicles,” officials said. “The first responder drone was able to track the E-bike throughout multiple neighborhoods, before observing it enter an open garage on the 49300 block of Bulldog Drive in Macomb Township.”
Deputies arrested the 14-year-old rider at the home north of 22 Mile Road between Card and Romeo Plank roads.
“The Drone as a First Responder pilot program reflects our commitment to embracing technology that enhances how we serve and protect our community,” Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said in the release. “We can gather critical information in real time, improve situational awareness, and support deputies on the ground. This technology ultimately helps us respond faster, make more informed decisions, and strengthen public safety.”
The office has used drones since 2018 when Wickersham formed the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle unit for special incidents, such as searching for a missing person, performing a rescue, encountering a barricaded gunman or hostage situation, and conducting traffic crash- and crime-scene investigations.
But under the DFR program, drones are deployed to immediately and routinely respond to incidents, sometimes arriving before first responders do.
“A licensed deputy at a computer will operate the DFR remotely, allowing immediate deployment at any time and transmittal of real- time intelligence to responding units prior to arrival on scene, enhancing situational awareness and response coordination, improving safety and efficiency,” officials said.
The 11 drones – seven for outdoor use and four for indoor use – in the UAV unit cannot be used for the DFR program, officials said.
“The drone technology in the pilot program is unique to that application,” said spokeswoman Jennifer Putney.
Officials added they are looking for a potential permanent drone launch site with dedicated staff.
The Sheriff’s Office is the second agency in the county and possibly the state to implement a DFR program.
The Warren police and fire departments started a DFR program last year and have been expanding it. Under that program, sensor-and-camera-equipped drones have been placed in six locations on the rooftops on five fire stations and the police station to take off within 20 seconds to respond to “high priority” 911 calls, city officials said.
The Sheriff’s Office also provides law-enforcement services in several other communities such as Harrison and Washington townships and Mount Clemens.
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