An Oklahoma City police drone helped officers track down a suspect with an active felony warrant after spotting him hiding in a residential driveway, according to the department. Officers were answering reports of someone checking vehicle door handles near SW 52nd Street and Shartel when staff in the Real Time Information Center launched a drone ahead of patrol units. The device picked up the individual on S. Dewey Avenue, and officers moved in to make the arrest on Feb. 22.
The department later laid out the play-by-play in a Facebook post titled “Eyes in the Sky: RTIC in Action,” noting that the drone guided officers to a driveway where the suspect was hiding, that the person had an active felony warrant, and listing the incident under case number #26-12836, per the Oklahoma City Police Department. The post, published March 23, also notes that Santa Fe Division officers were investigating reports of someone trying vehicle door handles around SW 52nd and Shartel when the RTIC-launched drone helped them zero in on the suspect, who was then taken into custody.
How the RTIC and Drone Were Used
Oklahoma City’s Real Time Information Center routes live video and other data to analysts who can send out drones as “eyes in the sky” so officers know what they are walking into before they arrive. The department’s 2023 annual report says OKCPD has used drones to locate missing children, prevent auto burglaries and assist with suspect apprehensions, and it describes a Drone-as-First-Responder model that pushes aerial units into the field quickly, per the Oklahoma City Police Department annual report. Police say this setup can cut response times and reduce risks to both officers and residents…