HAWTHORNE, Calif. — The Hawthorne Police Department is embracing technology when it comes to community safety.

The department is using drones as a first response to calls and is seeing an improvement in safety and efficiency.

Sergeant The Vu helps oversee the drones and says the drones are a part of the evolution of law enforcement. 

“We will be doing a disservice to ourselves [and] the community if we don’t utilize the technology that’s out there for making ourselves better, and keeping the community safe,” Vu said.

The drones can go as high as 150 feet into the air and travel up to 40 miles per hour. While the unmanned aircraft won’t be able to help solve crimes, it is helping with efficiency and safety for when officers are responding to calls. 

“It gets us to an incident faster,” Vu said. “When we are on scene, it gives us a different perspective that a ground officer can’t see.”

The drones can use infrared cameras to help locate suspects who may be hiding nearby a potential crime scene, and that helps keep responding officers safe. 

The Hawthorne Police Department has to follow strict guidelines when operating the drones, like any other aircraft. Officers who are controlling the drones must comply with FAA regulations, and must respect the privacy of citizens. 

Although officers are seeing improvements in a few different areas, some are still opposed to the use of drones because of potential privacy issues while the drones are up in there. 

“They’re picking up information all along the way,” said Hamid Khan, an organizer with the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition. “People are sitting in their backyards, people are hanging out, families are just chilling, but drones constantly upload that data.”

But that’s simply not the case, says Det. Sean Judd, who works in the real-time information center with the Hawthorne PD. Judd says officers have strict rules in place, not only from The Constitution, and the California Peace Officers Standards and Training, but from local authorities as well. 

“We always respect that people’s houses are their castles, and everybody has their right to privacy,” Judd said. “It’s part of our rules and regulations, it’s part of our policy and procedure, and we’re following those to the letter of the law every day that we fly.”

Judd adds that the cameras on the drones are typically focused on what’s happening about a mile away from where the unmanned aircraft is flying. He also states that officers will only look into a property owner’s yard if there is a suspect on the premises that they’re searching for. 

Sergeant Vu adds that it’s necessary for law enforcement to keep up with new tools to help keep communities safe.

“It does feel good to the use the latest and greatest for the greater good,” he said.