PORT ST. LUCIE — The Port St. Lucie Police Department's new Drone as First Responder program helped officers locate a missing autistic woman near a canal on its first day of testing and evaluation, according to the agency.
Police said the program completed 17 missions on its inaugural day of operation using three drone docks positioned throughout the city. The most significant response involved a report of an autistic woman walking through a wooded area near a canal bank.
A drone was remotely deployed and arrived before responding officers, police said. Using live video, drone operators located the woman and the person who reported her missing. Operators maintained visual contact and directed officers to their location, allowing police to reunite the woman with her family before she entered the nearby canal.
"This program is about saving lives, and on day one, that's exactly what it helped us do," Police Chief Leo Niemczyk said. "The successful location of a vulnerable autistic female near a canal before officers arrived demonstrates the tremendous value this technology brings to our community. This is more than a drone program, it's a public safety tool that allows us to respond faster, gather critical information, and make better decisions when seconds matter."
Police said drones also responded to a burglary in progress, providing aerial surveillance as officers approached and cleared a residence. In a domestic violence investigation, a drone arrived before patrol officers and located a suspect in a backyard, providing live video and real-time information to officers and supervisors.
The drones also were used during several disturbance calls involving groups of juveniles, allowing officers to assess conditions before arriving, according to the department.
The program is integrated with the department's computer-aided dispatch system, allowing trained personnel to remotely deploy drones as emergency calls are received. Police said drones can often reach scenes within seconds, with the longest travel time in the coverage area estimated at about four minutes.
The department plans to operate six drone docks throughout Port St. Lucie once the program is fully implemented. Three docks are currently active during the testing and evaluation phase.
According to the department, each drone can remain airborne for approximately 25 to 35 minutes, depending on weather conditions, and provides real-time information to responding officers.
Police said drones may be used for incidents including active threats, burglaries, robberies, shootings, kidnappings, barricaded subjects, school-related emergencies, felony traffic stops and searches for fleeing suspects. The technology also may assist with locating missing people, responding to vehicle crashes, hazardous materials incidents, fires and traffic monitoring.
The department's Drone as First Responder team currently consists of 12 specially trained officers.
"Technology will never replace our officers," Niemczyk said. "But when technology allows us to locate a vulnerable person faster, improve officer safety, and provide better service to our residents, it's an investment worth making. Day one proved exactly why this program matters."