Philly police to launch drone program in Kensington, cameras to fly beyond line of sight

Philadelphia police officer Ian Nance held a remote control on stage and flew a drone over an audience of about 10 people inside Willard Elementary School in Kensington on Tuesday night. The miniature aircraft hummed loudly as it filmed the crowd, sending live video and thermal imaging back to Nance’s remote screen.

The demonstration was part of the Philadelphia Police Department’s (PPD) announcement of its new “Drone First Responder” (DFR) program launching in the East Police Division, which includes the 24th, 25th, and 26th police districts. 

“This is the future of policing,” said First Deputy Commissioner John Stanford. Read more. 

Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel / Unsplash; Photo illustration by Jillian Bauer-Reese