The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) Special Operations Division will be conducting Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS/Drone) training in the Gaithersburg area today between the hours of 12 and 5 p.m. Residents and community members may observe a drone, however there is no reason for alarm.
MCPD recently announced that drone pilots from the Special Operations Division have successfully completed one thousand flights since the inception of the Drone as First Responder Program in October 2023. The program began in Silver Spring in 2023, expanded to Wheaton in March 2024, and is set to launch in Bethesda and Gaithersburg soon.
“The Drone as First responder Program, with the call sign Raven, has helped patrol officers in the police districts of Silver Spring and Wheaton by increasing response times, improving decision making, aiding in de-escalation, addressing staffing shortages and apprehending suspects.
During the completed one-thousand flights, the deployment of the drone prevented patrol units from being dispatched in 151 calls for service, putting approximately 305 officers back in service and available to respond to other calls. The drone was first on scene in approximately 72% of all calls and had an average response time of approximately one minute. The drone also assisted in apprehending over 250 suspects.
The Drone as First Responder Program has demonstrated to be a valuable tool in helping patrol officers keep our community safe. 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)”