Colorado authorities use drone to survey scene before officers become involved

Police in Wheat Ridge are using drones to survey the scene before officers engage with potential suspects.

"It's like a video game but in real life," said Wheat Ridge Police Cpl. Jeremy Schmitz.

He is part of the Wheat Ridge police drone operations team, which includes eight FAA-trained drone pilots who work different shifts. This setup allows a pilot to be on call at all times in case they are needed.

"It still just mitigates dangers to officers or anyone who shouldn't be inside," Schmitz said.

On Monday, the department shared a video of a new tactic. Wheat Ridge PD had received a burglary call at a housing complex. Although the apartment was unoccupied, a maintenance worker told police that several unauthorized individuals were inside. 

Instead of immediately sending officers in, they deployed a drone to scout the area. It discovered a dog in a closet with a sleeping man.

After safely removing the dog from the apartment, police took the man into custody. Alex Rose, who works with Wheat Ridge PD, said it helps mitigate unpredictability.

"Our job is also to ensure the suspect's safety, and that's a significant part of it," Rose said. "So if the suspect were to fire at the drone, the drone wouldn't fire back. Because this program is so new, almost everything represents a new opportunity and an exciting frontier to test."

While there are questions about public surveillance, Wheat Ridge PD states they do not record and store video in areas where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy, as a matter of policy.

"We just want to ensure the public is aware and knows that drones aren't being used in that manner," Schmitz said.

The drone is treated as an extension of an officer, so PD does not need a warrant to use it. If an incident threatens public safety, the drone can be deployed.

Currently, the drones are used for reconnaissance and mapping traffic patterns in car crash investigations. They are also used in areas like the Clear Creek Greenway to locate missing persons or suspects on the run.

"It's a phenomenal tool for us from a law enforcement standpoint and a safety standpoint overall," Rose said.