Name: Denver police quietly launch drone first-responder pilot program
Uploaded: 2025-12-13T20:24:08.716Z
Duration: 4 min 11 s
Description: Denver police have begun using drones as first responders in a pilot program that has handled more than 200 calls since October. The quiet rollout has raised transparency and surveillance concerns among some city council members, who say they were not informed before the program launched.

Denver police have begun using drones as first responders in a pilot program that has handled more than 200 calls since October. The quiet rollout has raised transparency and surveillance concerns among some city council members, who say they were not informed before the program launched.

Denver

The Denver Police Department has initiated a pilot program deploying drones as first responders, using technology from two companies, including Flock, known for its license plate reading cameras. The program has been active for two months and has responded to over 200 calls, but several city leaders and community members say they were not informed about its launch and have raised concerns about transparency and privacy.

Community groups and some council members are questioning the decision-making process and the involvement of Flock, a company previously criticized for its surveillance technology. While police leadership states the drones will improve response times, critics argue that the use of such surveillance tools should be a community decision, citing ongoing concerns about data privacy and the potential for harm.

Denver police quietly launch drone first-responder pilot program

And it's very, very concerning that we're continuing to do business with this company. The Denver Police Department rolling out its Drone as First Responders program using two companies. One is Flock, which operates a controversial license plate reading camera system in the city. Glad to have you with us as we wrap up this week. I'm Shannon Ogden. Well, today we learned the drone program's actually been underway for two months, but some city leaders tell us they didn't know anything about it. Tonight, Denver 7's Claire Lavazorio digging into exactly what this drone program is and why some city leaders say they've been left in the dark. From atop this building in downtown Denver, the Denver Police Department is piloting a new program responding to crime from the sky. In mid-October, the pilot program took flight. The department says it's responded to 215 calls since then, everything from robberies to burglaries and assaults. And it's not just Denver. The DPD's Drones as First Responder programs are taking off across the metro, from Commerce City to Castle Rock. We don't just fly the drone for the heck of it, I mean, it's done for a purpose. But in Denver, there are new concerns about transparency around how the program started and who is being contracted to carry it out. I just don't think it's the right way to go without involving community voice, the people who represent them, and the agencies. Denver council member at large, Serena Gonzalez Gutierrez, says this is the first she's heard about DPD's Drones. And as a member of the surveillance task force, she wishes the community was involved in the decision to launch. What message do you have for DPD? We need an opportunity to at least catch up and to implement some guardrails to make sure that we're not causing more harm in our community. One of the two companies contracted for the trial is already at the center of controversy. After everything that we have gone through with the automated license plate readers, it's very, very concerning that we're continuing to do business with this company. Denver 7 reached out to the department Friday, but DPD wasn't available for an interview. In a statement, police chief Ron Thomas said in part the new technology will quote, help us achieve quicker response times. But some city leaders aren't convinced the benefit will outweigh the risk. What message does it send to the community? It's yet to be answered whether or not these can be utilized by avoiding the concerns that people have been stating. In Denver, Claire Lavazorio, Denver 7. And as for the trial run with the Flock drones, the department says a contract's been signed, but a timeline for obtaining and installing the equipment still is being worked out. Well for months, community groups across the state have been sounding the alarm over drones as first responders. Now, multiple agencies in Colorado are using them. Earlier this year, we spoke with Dr. Robert Davis about the use of drones as first responders in Denver. Now, he's the project coordinator for the Denver Task Force to Reimagine Policing, and he told us the use of drones raises the same concerns as that shot spotter technology, which detects and locates gunfire in the city. And he argues this kind of tech raises privacy and equity concerns, and the use of it should be a community decision. I believe that communities should make the decision and not law enforcement as to whether or not these type of surveillance tools are implemented. Cameras have been a point of contention for some time. Back in October, the city of Denver signed a five-month contract extension with the cameramaker Flock Group, and residents and some city council members complained about that decision. And then in May, city council voted down an extension with Flock over privacy concerns, but the mayor overrode that decision. As part of the contract, Flock agreed not to share data from license plate readers with the federal government, but for a lot of people, that's not nearly enough. There's always a risk when that data's out there, and we really shouldn't be creating it. For folks who ideologically are never going to believe in any use of a camera system in the country, we won't find common ground on that idea. There are some 110 Flock cameras at 70 Denver intersections that read some 2 million license plates every month. The mayor says those cameras have reduced auto theft and have helped solve murders.

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