What’s Next
The addition of drones to airborne law enforcement’s arsenal is definitely boosting its capabilities and mission options. Yet even more promising possibilities are on the horizon. “The next phase is scale, and that’s where drone hives come in,” said LaFond, referring to a deployment model where multiple docks are prepositioned together in groups throughout a city to ensure continuous overwatch during long incidents. “By using a drone-hive approach, departments can maintain coverage across high-priority zones, respond to multiple calls from one site, and keep drones on scene longer by swapping them instead of flying back to base. Thanks to faster BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) waivers, which we help agencies secure, this level of autonomy is more accessible than ever. Airborne law enforcement is rapidly being redefined.”
Bucari expanded on that theme. “In the future, once the technology improves, you could see AI-powered tools like facial recognition, license-plate recognition, and anomaly detection be deployed from drones and helicopters,” he said. “These AI-based systems could automatically flag suspicious activity, reducing the need for constant human monitoring.”
Will these advances affect humanity’s role in airborne law enforcement? Absolutely! Still, changing this role does not
mean eliminating it. “Drone pilots will always have a place in airborne law enforcement,” Baker said. “DJI drones are designed to be piloted by a human operator as outlined by the FAA’s Beyond Visual Line of Sight regulations, and while some of our drones can be programmed for automated missions with an FAA waiver, a human operator can always take control and fly the drone as the situation dictates. Additionally, as mentioned previously, crewed aviation assets such as helicopters will always be needed for conditions that require longer flight times, such as vehicle pursuits or the transport of individuals in disaster situations.”
LaFond added, “The role of people in airborne law enforcement is just evolving. Human judgment and accountability will always be essential. It’s just that some of the more routine tasks, such as manual flying, positioning, and data processing, are becoming increasingly autonomous. When it comes to autonomous drones, operators are more of a mission supervisor than hands- on pilots, but humans are still in the loop. Moreover, we’ll soon see single humans operating multiple drones simultaneously. That shift will enable faster, safer and more effective responses while reducing cognitive load.”
The bottom line: when it comes to the future of airborne law enforcement, “there will always be a need for a human to be in command and to think on their feet,” Bucari concludes.
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