Bridgeport Police Seek To Implement Drones In Law Enforcement

BRIDGEPORT, CT — City officials and the Bridgeport Police Department have proposed a public safety initiative that would add drones to the city’s emergency response operations, though the plan has not yet been approved by the City Council.

Under the proposal, Bridgeport would use the Flock Safety Aerodome Drone-as-First-Responder system, which would allow drones to be dispatched to certain emergency calls to provide real-time aerial video to police and other first responders. Officials said the drones could help improve situational awareness and reduce risks during emergency responses.

If approved, the drones would respond to selected calls within a four-mile radius, traveling at an average speed of about 60 miles per hour. City officials said the system’s average response time would be approximately 85 seconds.

Mayor Joe Ganim said the proposal aligns with the city’s broader public safety strategy. (See the news conference announcing the initiative below.)

"Public safety will always remain a top priority to this administration,” Ganim said in a statement. "As we’re coming off of a year of historically low crime statistics, Flock’s DFR program will support our initiatives to keep crime low and our residents safe. Flock’s partnership will progress our efforts to fully implement 21st-century policing in our City."

The proposed system would be integrated with the police department’s existing license plate readers and camera network, allowing certain alerts to trigger drone deployment. Operations would be coordinated through the city’s Real-Time Crime Center.

Police officials said the drones could be used for a range of incidents, including reports of crimes in progress, serious vehicle crashes, fires and other emergencies. The aerial video would allow responders to assess scenes before arriving, helping determine resource needs and response strategies.

Police Chief Porter said the program would provide officers with additional visual information during emergencies and support investigations.

“This is a great time and moment for the city of Bridgeport and the police department as it relates to public safety," Porter said. "This drone program will allow us to have eyes in the sky and to respond in a more intentional way to crimes or calls for services. It will provide officers and first responders a visual overview that’s taking place and it will provide footage for our investigations and follow up investigations."

According to the city, data collected by the drones would be owned by the Bridgeport Police Department and encrypted from end to end. Each flight would be logged in a secure system with auditable access. Recorded footage would be retained for 30 days before being automatically deleted, in line with department policy.

City officials said the drones would not record ground footage while traveling to a call. Cameras would be directed toward the skyline during transit and would only capture ground-level images once the drone reaches the location of an emergency.

The proposal remains under review, and any deployment of the drone system would require approval by the Bridgeport City Council.