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 …