New Drone Technology To Assist Hempstead Police

HEMPSTEAD, NY — The Hempstead Police Department announced a first-of-its-kind drone program for assisting with emergencies.

The Drone-as-First-Responder (DFR) will respond t0 emergency incidents and calls will get faster service, safely.

It will be the first DFR program in the state by Flock Safety, the company behind the Flock Aerodome DFR system.

The drones can travel anywhere within a four-mile radius to get eyes immediately on the scene, with an average response time of 85 seconds.

"Hempstead PD has long been at the forefront of high-tech policing, and we’re excited to see the public safety benefits this game changing DFR system will bring to our village,” said Police Chief Richard Holland.

The DFR system integrates with Hempstead Police’s existing Flock Safety License Plate Reader (LPR) and video cameras, speeding response times from a camera alert on a stolen vehicle, known wanted offender, or detected missing person, to drone dispatch.

"Drone-as-First-Responder programs will play a central role in the future of public safety, speeding emergency response, de-escalating dangerous situations, and getting to closed cases faster," said Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley.

The drones will join the Hempstead Police Department later this year.