Huntington Beach Police Department set to launch drone program

The Huntington Beach Police Department says it's improving response time and public safety with its new drone program, set to go live on September 13.

The program is supported by an annual budget of $120,000, and to date, the department has deployed three drones on rooftops, ready to launch at various locations throughout the city.

Huntington Beach Police Chief Eric Parra said it's disaster preparedness, helping to locate lost seniors and children. 

"It's off the charts in terms of how much better public safety becomes because of this," he said.

Drone-trained detectives pilot the unmanned aerial vehicles from the police station, allowing for a two-minute response time.

At a Tuesday program demonstration, HBPD showed a video of how a drone assisted in detecting a vehicle burglary suspect in an outdoor parking lot. 

Police said other agencies that have adopted Drone First Responder Programs have reported that drones handled between 20 and 25% of their patrol calls.

"The officers that are responding will be able to know what they're going into," Huntington Beach PD Lt. Chris Nesmith said. "They'll know what the suspect is doing while officers are on the way. They can gauge their response and their tactics on the way to the call instead of getting to the call and deciding what they'll be facing when they get there."

Nesmith added that the drone program will keep officers safer and allow the department to maximize its manpower. The department assured residents that officers will not use the drones to spy on people's backyards.