Huntington Beach Tests New Drone Program to Cut Police Response Times

Huntington Beach is launching a new era in crime fighting with the deployment of three advanced police drones designed to dramatically cut response times. The city’s police department unveiled the program, which uses remote-operated drones stationed at strategic locations across town.

The drones will be launched from docks located on the roof of a downtown fire station, near City Hall, and at the Bella Terra Mall by the 405 freeway. Unlike the department’s current drones, these new four-and-a-half-pound units can be deployed remotely from police headquarters by trained drone pilots, such as Detective Taylor Daverin.

The goal is to get drones on-scene in under two minutes, capturing live video to provide responding officers with critical details before they arrive. Information such as suspect descriptions, evidence locations, and getaway vehicles can be relayed immediately, improving officer safety and tactical planning.

According to Lieutenant Nesmith, the program is designed to maximize manpower by quickly determining which calls require in-person police response. Officials emphasize that the drones will not be used for backyard surveillance, but strictly for reacting to crimes in progress.

The half-million-dollar program represents what city leaders call the “next generation” of public safety in Surf City, combining technology and strategy to better protect residents.

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