On the roof of the Colorado Springs Police Operations Center, a new member of the team waits to take flight. It’s a black drone with four propellers and a high-definition camera. The department’s license with the Federal Aviation Administration allows it to fly between 200 and 400 feet above the ground in a three-mile radius around the headquarters.
The department has been using the drone as a “first responder” for about a year, providing eyes in the sky that can buzz out to the scene of a crime often faster than responding officers. Colorado Springs is one of several cities using the high-tech tools to transform response times to certain types of incidents.
Take a recent carjacking as an example. The vehicle’s owner found his car being driven by the suspected thieves and called the police. From his seat at the police operations center, CSPD Sgt. Matt McClain was able to reach the scene with the drone first. The owner said the suspects had parked the car and were on foot, heading east on Brookside Street…