Montgomery County PD drone program completes 1,000 flights, improves response times

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. ( DC News Now ) — It’s been almost a year since the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) launched its drone program, and now the department is celebrating a new milestone.

In an announcement on Thursday, police shared that the Special Operations Division has completed 1,000 flights since its start in October 2023. Police said the Drone as First Responder Program has helped increase response times, improve decision-making, address staffing shortages, apprehend 250 suspects, and more.

During the flights, the drone prevented patrol units from responding to 151 calls of service, according to police. This put about 305 officers back in service and available for other calls.

MCPD said the drone was also first on the scene for about 72% of all calls and had an average response time of one minute.

“The Drone as First Responder Program has demonstrated to be a valuable tool in helping patrol officers keep our community safe,” said the police department in a release.

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