The Denver Police Department has signed a free trial contract with Flock to use the company’s Aerodome flying drones — a “fully automated air support system” that can reach crime scenes often faster than police can arrive.
Flock is the $7.5 billion company whose cameras capture license plate data for Denver Police and other agencies across the nation. It has drawn criticism because immigration enforcement agents have tapped into its national network.
Denverite obtained the most recent contract with Flock through an open records request. The trial will run through next August, and if the city likes the product, it could begin to pay for the Flock drones starting next year.
The company claims the technology makes policing more efficient and safer, though advocacy groups argue the use of drone first responders — especially connected to a network of license plate readers — raises serious privacy concerns.
“The integration of Flock Safety’s flagship ALPR technology with its Aerodome drone equipment is a police surveillance combo poised to elevate the privacy threats to civilians caused by both of these invasive technologies as drone adoption expands,” the Electronic Frontier Foundation wrote in a recent article.
Denver’s contract
Flock approached DPD about the company’s drone technology at a recent International Association of Chiefs of Police conference, a DPD spokesperson wrote to Denverite. Other vendors present were also advertising their drone technologies.
“Because we have been exploring the utility of a Drones as First Responder program to improve our capacity to provide public safety services in Denver, we saw benefit in these opportunities and have entered into a no-cost contract with Flock for a pilot program to evaluate its DFR program,” a department spokesperson wrote. “DPD is also in contract discussions with other venders to support a pilot DFR program.”
The Flock drones are capable of capturing audio, video, images and other data that will be retained for 30 days. They look similar to consumer drones, with four propellers and a camera unit.
So far, local police have not deployed the drones. According to the contract, recorded images will be subject to Colorado Open Records Act requests.
Once DPD begins using the drones, the department plans to create a dashboard showing data about drone flights.
How do drone first responders work?
When a 911 call comes in, a drone would fly from a dock to the scene to help the department determine what’s happening and what safety considerations — like firearms — may be present.
In an example on Flock’s website, a 911 call comes in. The drone’s operator clicks on the address and the drone appears to determine a route and fly to the location, locating a vehicle and reading its license plate. The drones can operate at heights of up to about 400 feet and speeds of about 50 mph. In other videos, the drones appear to tail an erratic driver and to identify the sound of a gunshot.
“DFR’s provide real-time information to responding officers, and the information obtained from the drone’s vantage point will help DPD to determine whether more or fewer police resources are needed at the location, and if a police response is needed at all,” the DPD spokesperson wrote.
The technology allows a single operator to control multiple drones, "providing continuous air support for the entire city.”
According to data on the company’s website, 20 percent of calls are resolved without human officers needing to show up to the scene of a crime. Drones take an average of 86 seconds to reach calls for service. And they have led to an 89 percent increase in subjects being located in cities where they are deployed.
“Flock Aerodome is an all-in-one, fully automated air support system that provides rapid responses to enhance the safety of communities and officers. Advanced DFR is here today, and it's faster, more efficient, and more effective than ever,” writes the company on its website.
Flock’s drones can transmit thermal vision and night vision, and the stream can be transmitted to other officers and authorized emergency workers.
Are drone first responders legal?
Neither Colorado nor Denver regulates how police use drones.
Earlier this year, Denver City Council refused to renew a contract with Flock after members raised concerns about the company’s data-sharing policies. Flock’s CEO came to Denver to lobby lawmakers about the technology. Most recently, Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration renewed the contract for less than the monetary amount that triggers a council vote, and the council may reconsider the larger contract in the coming weeks.
Some groups like the Party for Socialism and Liberation have been rallying for the city to cut contracts with Flock, citing civil liberties concerns, while supporters appreciate how police have used the technology to solve crimes. Arvada police officers recently used Flock cameras to track a stolen car after a carjacking and shooting.
The American Civil Liberties Union recognizes the “beneficial uses” of drones, but it encourages lawmakers to create policies regarding how the technology can be used, how long data needs to be retained and how abuse is prevented and accountability is ensured.
The civil liberties group also encourages states and municipalities to prohibit equipping drones with weapons — an idea floated by some police departments nationwide.
