Police Drone Program Expands To Wheaton To Assist Patrol Officers

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Drone pilots from the Montgomery County Police Department’s Special Operations Division conducted their first flight in the Wheaton district on Wednesday.

The police department is planning to expand its Drone as First Responder Program to Wheaton after it proved successful in Silver Spring. The police department said the drone program in Silver Spring has helped address response times, decision-making, de-escalation and staffing shortages since it was implemented in November.

The unmanned aircraft in the Wheaton area will have the call sign Raven 2. The drone will be used to reach the scene of a call for service, either before or in conjunction with patrol officers.

“This innovative approach aims to revolutionize emergency response by offering a real-time aerial perspective and strategic insights,” the MCPD said.

According to the MCPD, the operational objectives of the department’s drone program are:

• Assisting in the assessment of scenes and circumstances before officers arrive.
• Providing essential tactical information and situational awareness to enhance response safety.
• Contributing to the de-escalation of situations and improvement of overall response times.
• Addressing staffing shortages and assisting public safety efforts.