Derby PD seeks to add drone capabilities

Derby Police Officer Nick Hale is shown with his personal drone. The department is currently seeking out such units to help enhance its and other city departments’ capabilities.

Part of the 2024 budget, the Derby Police Department brought forward a request in line with its continued evolution to best serve the community.

Derby PD is looking to add drone units starting in 2024, with a request for two initially. Typically implemented by larger departments, Police Chief Brandon Russell noted Derby is “catching up” to the point where drone use has become a real need not just for local law enforcement, but other city departments as well.

“For us, we felt we’re getting large enough that it would be beneficial not only to the police department but we can also use it for public works, we can use it for fire,” Russell said. "There’s things that it can be used for public safety-wise that just give us advantages we don’t have right now.”

Among the potential uses are mapping accident/crime scenes (something Sedgwick County or Kansas Highway Patrol helps with currently), pinpointing hot spots with active fires, locating lost individuals, etc.

Having a drone will also help with officer safety in situations where a suspect has barricaded themselves in a home or other structure.

“We can send that [drone] up to a window to try and see instead of an officer peaking their head up at a window,” Russell said.

“Post storm damage in town, there’s all kinds of city work applications that this could be used for as well,” added Officer Nick Hale, who will help manage Derby PD’s drone program.

Through previous work, Hale noted such drones could be used for roof inspections as well as finding blockages along creeks/rivers after severe weather – helping to save time and manpower.

Similarly, drones could help clear a large building (i.e., Derby High School) or search an expansive field for a missing person more quickly than officers on their own.

Derby PD is seeking out a law enforcement-specific type of drone, like those manufactured by Parrot (shown)

On top of that, Hale noted most newer drones have two-way communication capabilities with a speaker attached to help alert citizens in emergency scenarios.

“We can go a little bit above and beyond with some of the public safety aspects then we used to be able to with drone tech,” Hale said.

Russell and Hale confirmed the department would seek those communication capabilities, along with the software required for other duties (i.e., crime scene mapping), in its drone units.

Initially, Derby PD is seeking to add two drone units in 2024 – for $30,000 total – and train four pilots (one for each shift plus a “bridge” position) to be able to operate them. Having two will allow for dual usage if required for a public event, as well as help cover the department if maintenance is required.

While the department has no drones currently, Russell noted there are individuals on staff who have their own personal drones, which partly led to the pursuit of such units.

Hale – who has been on staff for two years and flying for four years – is among those with his own drone, license and certification through WSU Tech, and he is set to help come up with a training plan for drone pilots within Derby PD. Some of that may be handled by Hale (who can oversee some operations), while Russell noted the department may seek outside resources as well for pilots to earn their qualifications.

Though final approval of the 2024 budget has yet to happen, Russell noted upon that Derby PD will be ready to proceed with a request for proposal at the start of the year with hopes to have the drones drones purchased by April/May of next year.

By then, both Russell and Hale noted there may be even more advancements continuing to enhance what the drone units will offer to Derby PD.

“It’s just another tool in our tool belt,” Hale said. "Police are really known for carrying a lot of tools, and this will just expand that.”