Oak Brook, Illinois police to begin using drones as first responders to 911 calls
A police department in Chicago's western suburbs is about to launch a new high-tech program that they hope will take a big bite out of crime. Oak Brook police plan to start using drones on a daily basis.
Police and prosecutors said the new technology will make a difference in responding to crimes, and protecting both police officers and the community, but what might be good for catching criminals is raising concerns about people's privacy.
From inside command centers, first responders would be able to deploy a drone as soon as a 911 call is made to provide an eye in the sky before police can get there. The program is the first of its kind in Illinois.
Deployed from the roof of the police station, a drone would be ready to travel 50 mph at an elevation of 400 feet as the newest police first responder in Oak Brook.
"I think it's going to be a game changer for us," Oak Brook Police Chief Brian Strockis said. "They don't replace police officers, but they will be able to enhance our response, improve our response time," Strockis said.
Officials demonstrated how, in response to a simulated 911 call about a break-in, a drone arrived at the house first, getting footage of the suspect so police know who they're looking for.
"We're going to designate burglaries in progress, retail thefts in progress, burglar alarms. Obviously any crime against a person, the drone will be assigned to," Strockis said.
DuPage County State's Attorney Bob Berlin said drone footage from such cases will make all the difference when a case goes to court.
"It's going to make our cases a lot stronger. Video evidence is very powerful," he said.
The company behind the tech is called Flock Safety, and their responder drones are already being used by departments in California, Arizona, and Georgia.
They have signed a 3-year contract for drones in Oak Brook.
"This is significantly more cost effective than a helicopter. We don't think the drones will replace air support and helicopters," Flock Safety spokeswoman Holly Beilin said.
The big underlying question is how to address privacy concerns associated with drone technology.
"We've baked in these privacy protections, so that we're making sure there's accountability, there's transparency, there's oversight of this entire system. It's only being as law enforcement purposes as intended," Beilin said. "Until the drone gets to the scene, when it's just flying to get to the scene, that camera is facing straight ahead."
Beilin said every drone flight is logged in a report that is available to the public online, so anyone can see what types of calls drones are responding to.
A spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union said they are concerned drone technology could be abused, and used for surveillance
"The State of Illinois placed limits on the use of drones by police a few years ago – essentially saying that they could not use the drones except for exceptional circumstances or to investigate things like traffic deaths. More recently, after the Highland Park shooting, the legislature expanded that use for permitted events (which can include First Amendment activity). Our concern is that drone use by police could expand further – allowing for massive sorts of surveillance (think about being able to follow a car) and that the tool would be abused," ACLU of Illinois spokesman Ed Yohnka said in an email.
But Strockis said "we are not surveilling people."
The chief said the drones won't just help keep the public safer, but will help protect the officers responding to calls within minutes of the drone. In some cases, they could eliminate the need for police chases, which can be dangerous for both officers and bystanders.
"For our officers to have an overview camera on emergencies that they're going to, so they know what they're going to prior to arrival, I think will just increase officer safety," Strockis said.
Drones have not yet been deployed in Oak Brook. Officials plan on kicking the program off the end of April.
