Drones could become first responders in Palm Springs under PSPD proposal being shown to public

The Palm Springs Police Department is considering implementing a Drone First Responder (DFR) program that would deploy unmanned aerial vehicles to emergency calls before officers arrive on scene. The public got its first chance to review and weigh in on the proposal Wednesday evening.

During a community forum at police headquarters, Lt. William Hutchinson presented the proposal, highlighting potential benefits and addressing public concerns over what would be the first program of its type in the Coachella Valley.

The program aims to improve response times, with drones potentially reaching incidents in under three minutes. Where current department drones must be carried in patrol units, under the DFR program drone docking stations would be installed in three locations — on a downtown building, and atop fire stations in north and south Palm Springs .

The drones would be part of the department’s “Guardian Grid,” technological tools that assist the department and include the existing license plate reader system and city-wide cameras.

If implemented, the drones would be remotely operated from a real-time operations center by FAA-certified pilots. Total cost for three drones and docking stations is estimated at $111,000, including three years of software support.

Hutchinson emphasized that drones won’t be used for random surveillance or targeting residents based on certain characteristics.

“We’re focusing on saving lives and keeping the community safe,” Hutchinson said. “We’re not just flying it around just to look around. We’re dispatching drones on a call for service or a specific event or a specific incident only.”

The department currently has nine FAA-certified pilots and has conducted more than 450 drone flights in the past two years. Existing uses include search and rescue, disaster response, and crime scene documentation.

Similar programs in Elk Grove and Chula Vista have shown reduced need for officer dispatches. In Chula Vista, for example, drones responded to 10,970 calls, with 2,772 instances where police car dispatch was avoided.

Despite benefits shown during a slideshow Wednesday evening, some residents expressed concerns about potential future misuse and privacy implications of drone technology. One attendee warned, “The implications of where this can go sideways are immense.”

Hutchinson acknowledged the concerns, stating, “I think any of us would be silly to say that any technology that’s abused shouldn’t concern you.” He suggested the possibility of creating a public safety surveillance technology oversight board with community involvement.

The drones would have thermal imaging capabilities but cannot see through walls or buildings. They would be equipped with a public address system but lack listening capabilities.

Flight data, including date, time, location, and purpose, would be publicly available through an online dashboard. Recordings would be stored in a secure digital evidence system in accordance with law and city retention policies.

The police department plans to seek community feedback through additional public meetings before presenting the proposal to the Palm Springs City Council in January. If approved, the program could potentially launch as early as February or March.

“We can’t move forward on any type of program or technology without opposition to it, without support for it, without hearing each other out, without figuring out the right way to go,” Hutchinson said.

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