Montgomery County police hold public meeting on new plan to use drones as first responders

[Schipperke]

Montgomery County (and all the others that that occupy a chunk of the DC FRZ (the 30-mile-wide Thou Shall NOT Fly Here zone) are going to find most of their drone activity constrained to the upper/outer part of of the county. Any officer (or contractor) operating these things will have to of course be FAA certified, but also personally on the hook for conduct within the most controlled air space in the world ... if they can even get a waiver at all over places like Bethesda or Silver Spring. The FRZ goes up through half of Rockville.

No-Go Zone (the red boundary):

And of course even when you're outside that zone, you're highly restricted around hospital helipads, little air strips like in Gaithersburg, etc. And the endless military helo traffic always wins when they blow through unannounced doing a Camp David run or just out training. The FAA isn't going to give an inch on this, even for operators working for the local county PD. Which isn't to say these things might not give a cop working a regularly scheduled shooting in Germantown a helping hand, or be useful when some kid has wandered into the woods in Poolesville.

The FRZ is the yellow circle. It does not extend to Rockville.
Regardless, TRACON can't paint a drone at 200 ft. They never painted the gyroplane that landed at the Capitol.

 

[Occam]

The FRZ is the yellow circle. It does not extend to Rockville.
Regardless, TRACON can't paint a drone at 200 ft. They never painted the gyroplane that landed at the Capitol.

That red circle represents the FAA’s extension around the core FRZ where - indeed all the way out to Rockville, etc - UAV traffic is a no-go. It’s so well defined that it’s baked into the nav tables and geofencing on both consumer and commercial drone systems.

 

[Schipperke]

That red circle represents the FAA’s extension around the core FRZ where - indeed all the way out to Rockville, etc - UAV traffic is a no-go. It’s so well defined that it’s baked into the nav tables and geofencing on both consumer and commercial drone systems.

The red circle is the ADIZ , it is not an extension of the FRZ , and is a SFRA.

• Flying a drone for recreational or non-recreational use between 15 and 30 miles from Washington, D.C. is allowed under these operating conditions:
  • Aircraft must weigh less than 55 lbs. (including any attachments such as a camera)
  • Aircraft must be registered and marked
  • Fly below 400 ft.
  • Fly within visual line-of-sight
  • Fly in clear weather conditions
  • Never fly near other aircraft

 

[Occam]

The red circle is the ADIZ , it is not an extension of the FRZ , and is a SFRA.

Really wasn’t looking to hair split on the acronyms for purposes of this topic. The point is that because DC is where it is, the FAA says drones are a no-no from the center of that jaunty yellow circle out to that lumpy red boundary. In practical terms, it makes routine use of drones a near impossibility for large chunks of MoCo, PG, Fairfax, etc.

That’s not going to change for use by rank and file cops with a part 107 ticket wanting to use a drone to help with a traffic pile up or a back yard barricade situation in Silver Spring or Greenbelt.

 

[owldo]

MoCo ... The Black Hole within the Black Hole ...

 

[Schipperke]

Really wasn’t looking to hair split on the acronyms for purposes of this topic. The point is that because DC is where it is, the FAA says drones are a no-no from the center of that jaunty yellow circle out to that lumpy red boundary. In practical terms, it makes routine use of drones a near impossibility for large chunks of MoCo, PG, Fairfax, etc.

That’s not going to change for use by rank and file cops with a part 107 ticket wanting to use a drone to help with a traffic pile up or a back yard barricade situation in Silver Spring or Greenbelt.

I'm cleared to fly in the FRZ. If I can, I doubt MoCo government is going to have any trouble being cleared to fly drones at a couple hundred feet, nowhere near where I am cleared.

 

[Occam]

I'm cleared to fly in the FRZ. If I can, I doubt MoCo government is going to have any trouble being cleared to fly drones at a couple hundred feet, nowhere near where I am cleared.

You can fly at will throughout that 30 mile zone with no notice, day or night?

Regardless, the county government won’t be flying drones, individually licensed RPICs are going to be. They’ve got all sorts of hurdles making this unlikely to be ad hoc useful on the fly, not least the fact that a lot of utility (in a law enforcement context) would only come from flying BLOS and at night, both requiring specific case by case waivers in advance. Blanket waivers for things like experimental BLOS are granted for specific routes and well identified operations in low traffic, low hazard places/times.

In practical terms - all of those normal flight killing rules aside - wind, rain, and cold temps will make even expensive commercial drones nearly useless in exactly the conditions where stretched out personnel/shifts would most benefit from having the aerial help. Same reasons they ground manned helicopters only way more so, as low-powered and sensitive as the devices the county’s considering are.

I’m all for this. My point is that it’s not going to be ubiquitous or even routine, or available at all under a lot of circumstances.

All of the nav/geofencing stuff (including any exceptions to it) require solid internet connectivity and GPS functionality unless we’re talking extremely expensive military hardware, which we’re not. The RF between the vehicle and the operator also has to be solid and unmolested, here in one of the most RF saturated areas on the planet. Point being that certain emergency scenarios (where gridlocked officers on the ground might most benefit from these very tools) are when - especially in the capital area - these modestly priced commercial tools will be at their most unreliable operating over people’s heads.

We won’t be seeing these buzzing around Chevy Chase or Pike & Rose or Takoma Park or Cabin John (complete with its own no-fly Naval facility) or Sangamore (with a full-on Spook Annex!) or Montrose/Seven Locks (with a prison!) with any regularity, if at all, any time soon.

 

[Occam]

I've heard the operators on the radio in Silver Spring. They are deployed in downtown. They are all FAA certified pilots and they have whatever waivers are required to operate down there.

I would love to see those waivers, and who actually holds them. What equipment are they using? Was this happening before the public meetings being discussed here?

 

[Bob A]

That’s not going to change for use by rank and file cops with a part 107 ticket wanting to use a drone to help with a traffic pile up or a back yard barricade situation in Silver Spring or Greenbelt.

Official sensitivity in this area is such that should a serious situation as described actually arise, and result in loss of life, the optical fallout would probably surprise the FAA with the level of heat brought to bear, because of the ego status and income levels of the locals in some of these areas.

It's for the Children, of course; but the children of Privilege, not plebeian riffraff.

(Fortunately, the areas in question are infrequently invaded by riffraff, though the trend seems to be on the move).

 

[mpollan1]

(Fortunately, the areas in question are infrequently invaded by riffraff, though the trend seems to be on the move).

Like crabs scurrying along the Bering Sea floor.

 

[spoon059]

I would love to see those waivers, and who actually holds them. What equipment are they using? Was this happening before the public meetings being discussed here?

Not the slightest clue about any of that stuff, sorry.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk

 

[Sunrise]

Update: https://www2.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgportalapps/Press_Detail_Pol.aspx?Item_ID=44369

Montgomery County Department of Police Announces Drone as First Responder Program​

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Gaithersburg, MD - The Montgomery County Department of Police has begun the Drone as First Responder Program.

Designed to enhance emergency response capabilities, this program introduces an unmanned aircraft, with the call sign Raven, to provide critical support to the department and better serve the residents of Montgomery County.

The Drone as First Responder program leverages Raven's capabilities to reach the scene of a call for service, either before or in conjunction with patrol officers. This innovative approach aims to revolutionize emergency response by offering a real-time aerial perspective and strategic insights.

Raven's operational objectives include:

• Assisting in the assessment of scenes and circumstances before officers arrive.
• Providing essential tactical information and situational awareness to enhance response safety.
• Contributing to the de-escalation of situations and improvement of overall response times.
• Addressing staffing shortages and assisting public safety efforts.

Raven played a pivotal role in the recent apprehension of a 31-year-old repeat shoplifter.

The suspect had targeted a CVS Pharmacy in the 9500 block of Georgia Avenue and stolen items from the store on multiple occasions. He was able to leave the store before patrol officers responded.

On Wednesday, November 15, 3rd District officers responded to a shoplifting call at the Georgia Avenue CVS around 12:33 p.m.

The suspect managed to leave the store before officers arrived. Raven was deployed and observed the suspect leaving the area of the store and getting on a Metro bus. The drone tracked the bus's route, giving officers the location.

At the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road, officers stopped the Metro bus at 12:50 p.m., taking him into custody. Charges are pending for the November 15 case and the investigation into previous shoplifting cases is ongoing.

For more information on the program, and to view Raven flight maps, please visit Drone as First Responder Program, Department of Police, Montgomery County, MD (montgomerycountymd.gov)

........

Drone as First Responder (DFR) Program Information Page: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/pol/howdoI/drone-as-first-responder.html

Callsign: “RAVEN”
Make/Model: DJI Matrice 300 RTK
Flight Time: Approximately 55 minutes
Flight Altitude: Between 200 and 400 Feet AGL (Above Ground Level)

Matrice 300 RTK - Industrial grade mapping inspection drones - DJI Enterprise

The Matrice 300 RTK sets a new standard for industrial drones by combining intelligence with high-performance and unrivaled reliability.

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Buy Matrice 300 RTK - DJI Store

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$13,700 base price.

Flight Maps & Data: https://remote.dronesense.com/dashboard/MCPDDFR

 

[mpollan1]

Yippee, they caught a shoplifter. Can't wait to hear about the sentencing.

 

[Sunrise]

More background: https://www.mymcmedia.org/police-drone-helps-apprehend-repeat-shoplifter/

Almost a week before Montgomery County Police’s new drone as a first responder program went live, a shoplifter was located and arrested during a trial run.

Police are using two drones, one in the Downtown Silver Spring area and one in the Wheaton business district, to help deter and solve crimes as well as deal with its shortage of officers.

 

[Sunrise]

Yippee, they caught a shoplifter. Can't wait to hear about the sentencing.

That's repeat shoplifter to you. ;-)

 

[Occam]

That's repeat shoplifter to you. ;-)

That's Robinhood, redistributing the filthy capitalist spoils to the right people, sir.

 

[Sunrise]

Some more background and video footage of the Drone as First Responder Program here: https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/...ery-countys-drone-as-first-responder-program/

Lt. Doug Miller, the deputy director of special operations who leads the unmanned aircraft systems program, explained the drones are operated in coordination, and under FAA regulations, and are permitted to fly at a maximum of 400 feet — a ceiling that could be deviated from in emergencies but not without consultation with the FAA.

The drones are pre-positioned at rooftop locations and are dispatched along with officers when a call comes in.

The pilot program expires on June 30, 2024, so we'll see if that's something they want to continue past that.

 

[Sunrise]

That's Robinhood, redistributing the filthy capitalist spoils to the right people, sir.

Haha. Nice.

 

[mpollan1]

More background: https://www.mymcmedia.org/police-drone-helps-apprehend-repeat-shoplifter/

Almost a week before Montgomery County Police’s new drone as a first responder program went live, a shoplifter was located and arrested during a trial run.

Police are using two drones, one in the Downtown Silver Spring area and one in the Wheaton business district, to help deter and solve crimes as well as deal with its shortage of officers.

Two whole drones. Sounds like MoCo is really gearing up to put a slap down on crime. Elrich and the county clowncil should be mighty proud.

 

[Sunrise]

Two whole drones. Sounds like MoCo is really gearing up to put a slap down on crime. Elrich and the county clowncil should be mighty proud.

We'll see how many it expands to after the pilot period.

It's easier to buy additional drones than convince prospective recruits to join MoCo PD.

How sad is that....